Infinite Stratos: Under the Surface
by Jack Jaxx
Summary: There are 467 I.S. cores, only 322 of which is used for actual combat. This is a lie. The only one with the knowledge to create an I.S. core is Tabane Shinonono. This is also a lie. Otherwise we wouldn't exist. Otherwise we wouldn't be standing here. Otherwise, the Underworld would not have been. But it is, it's real, and so are we
1. Prologue

**Again, really sorry this took a really fucking long time.**

**Most of the time that I could have used to write was lost while I was wrestling with my keyboard.**

**Seriously, God; all the buttons I use a lot aren't working anymore, even the space bar and period button won't do shit. This new keyboard over here takes up waaaaay too much space on my double deck bed.**

**And now...**

**Please guys, review.**

**This is not because I want more reviews for my story (Actually, in a way I do) but because I really need to find something to rekindle my passion to write. My school and my exams constantly take a toll on my enthusiasm, so seeing some people review my story has constantly reminded me that my effort at writing has not been a waste; and people actually give a fuck about my story. **

**But please, review something that makes sense, so long as it isn't trolling or flaming, I am fine with your review, so long as it is actually about my story, my stupid notes, my terrible sense of humor, or even about my other story ideas(though those would be better sent through private messages), I am fine with it.**

**Also, how's the new name? Jack Jaxx, I like the sound of it.**

**Now, here's the bloody rewrite:**

* * *

><p>A silent night, a pretty rare and quiet time for the guard.<p>

But then again, since when has there ever been a peaceful night when you're guarding the [Royal Palace]?

No, not Buckingham Palace, the _Royal Palace._

When the controversy and panic from the [White Knight Incident] finally died down, the ruling monarch of the U.K. realized that she, the royal family, and the most precious relics of the British Empire were no longer safe, the strength demonstrated by the [White Knight] justified that; so, in order to assure that all the succeeding monarchs would be safe, she ordered the creation of a palace, one which could not be penetrated by any mere robber.

And thus was built, the [Royal Palace], home of the monarchy, holder of the most important relics and riches of the British Empire, and the training grounds of only the most elite I.S. pilots in all of the U.K. At first, none knew of its location, but one could not hide something as splendor and elegant as it was for so long, and when it was finally found, many villainous minds dreamed of breaking in and stealing all the riches of the U.K.

But that was why it was called names like "The Royal Fortress of Europe" and the "Unbreakable Royal Fortress", it was located in a nearly deserted area, surrounded by nothing but clean grass, it was impossible to not be seen attempting to sneak in, although they allowed visitors inside, even the most important of them were kept under the constant watch of [England's Elite]. And to completely maximize the defenses of the Palace, all six of them and the queen were equipped with highly advanced personal I.S. units.

No criminal has ever gotten close to stealing a speck of dust from the place.

That is, until 3 years ago.

Reminiscing about that day, Ellis White, captain of the guard scowled, although nobody blamed her, it was still, in her personal opinion, a deep stain in her honor. They say that nothing was stolen, but she was there; she remembered, a newbie, fresh from the Academy, right out of the [Mondo Grosso] confident on her first real mission, but by the time she finally found the culprit, they had already stolen _that_ of all things.

Ellis was piloting her I.S., [Imperial Rebirth], a generation three Close-Range Combat I.S. (which was only updated to a generation three recently), it gained its name after winning the [Mondo Grosso] for the U.K. after five whole straight years of being in the last five. Although, she couldn't deny that she requested the design to look like the [White Knight] without the helmet; it was already pretty obvious to the public, the striking similarities between the two made them nearly indistinguishable, had it not been for [Imperial Rebirth's] grey color scheme, and its obvious lack of a helmet; its weaponry included the shotgun in her right hand, and an undeployed sword.

She was on top of one of the Palace's watchtowers, high enough for her to see the surrounding area, but low enough for her to be unnoticed; her eyes untiring. Ellis was always on watch, ever since that day, never letting her guard down, even in front of her closest friends, **especially** in front of her closest friends. She had memorized the entire landscape and there was nothing different.

"_Looks like this area's clear." _She thought, turning around immediately, and although she expected the worse, she was completely caught off-guard by what was about to happen in the next few moments.

* * *

><p>"Begin the operation."<p>

* * *

><p>Ellis turned around once more, her senses tingling, just in time to see one of the airborne guards fall from the night sky, completely frozen.<p>

Alarmed, Ellis dashed to the guard, only to find her unconscious, cursing under her breath, she checked her pulse.

_Alive._

Good.

Curious, Ellis pulled out a small piece of the ice.

_Strange, no one just freezes just like that, even in the winter._

She thought as she scanned the chunk using her I.S. Only to find...

"Bloody Hell..."

She cursed under her breath again.

Nanobots.

This wasn't natural ice.

Somebody intentionally froze the pilot.

Ellis' eyes widened as she slowly began to panic. However, she quickly calmed down, as she replaced her panic with rage. Glaring at nothing in particular, she opened up intercom.

"Edwards! Anselm! Contact the Queen's Guards! We got intruders in the-"

However, before she could finish her sentence, she saw two more frozen figures falling from the sky.

"Dammit! This is why I don't go airborne."

Cursing under her breath, Ellis turned around, changing the channel on her comm.

"Captain Ellis White to the Queen's Guard! Stay frosty, we've got intruders in the Palace."

Walking towards the Palace, Ellis sent out a warning to the Queen's Guard.

"Message received capta-"

Without warning, the guard on the line stopped mid-sentence.

Ellis froze, waiting for a reply.

"Oi, you two there?"

The only answer she received was the sound of silence on the other side of the comm.

Could the intruders have already gotten into the palace?

"Oh, fuck protocol."

Ellis let out a silent curse. If the Queen's Guard was down, that could only mean one thing, the intruders weren't aiming for treasure, nor were they aiming for the advanced weaponry inside, they were aiming for the most heavily defended thing in the Palace:

_The Queen!_

* * *

><p>"We have reached the target."<p>

* * *

><p>Queen Elizabeth the Third awoke from her sleep, and rather uncomfortably, I might add; after all, how comfortable could you be when you wake up seeing nothing?<p>

"Looks like she's finally awake."

Those were the first words that her ears picked up.

"Took the bitch long enough."

"Hey, show a little respect, she's the Queen, after all."

"Queen, Peasants, Lords, soldiers whatever; they're all pretty easy to kill. How are you even sure she's awake?"

"Remove the blindfold, I bet ten dollars that she's awake."

"Deal."

Before the Queen could say anything, she felt the piece of cloth covering her eyes being removed.

"Damn it."

"Well, a deal's a deal, isn't it?"

The Queen was in a pinch, her limbs tied to a chair, she was in her nightgown, and her I.S. was on the table across the room, perhaps she should have listened when the teachers at I.S. Academy taught her to always have her I.S. on her person.

Angry, the young queen looked around, observing her captors.

The first intruder, who won the bet, was in a snow-white I.S., literally snow-white, covering mostly her limbs and head, but still offering some camouflage to the uncovered parts by having the pilot where some similarly designed clothing, it appeared to be designed for Winter combat, judging by how well it blended in with her wallpaper, which was designed to completely imitate winter; on her right hand, she held what appeared to be a bow, its design was also like the snow, barely see-able by her trained eye, in fact, the only thing that signified that she wasn't in the wallpaper was the small slits on her I.S.' helmet that allow the pilot to see, and even those had glasses tinted blue. Its main form of aerial transportation appeared to be the fans on its back, which had blades extended to such a point that they appeared like wings.

The other intruder was also clad in I.S., except unlike the other one, this one was painted red, the armor this one had also only covered the limbs, head and waist, showing the owner's perfect form, but offering little protection if it was ever to lose [Absolute Defense], however if one were to look a little bit closer, one would notice the long thin blades in each of the limbs. Another notable thing was its small thrusters, which didn't appear to be strong enough to lift it off the ground, but with the world's current level of technology, one could not tell. What appeared to be its only weapon, apart from the hidden blades, were the katana sheathed on her hip and her on her back. The I.S.' looks were crossed between a samurai, a ninja, and some blood-covered warrior.

"For a queen, you look pretty pissed."

"Forgive my friend; she has a bit of a problem showing respect to anybody who isn't her brother."

The two talked casually, as if they weren't holding the Queen herself captive. Like to them, she was nothing. And it was quite insulting to Elizabeth, who was beginning to lose her patience.

"How did you get in here?"

Queen Elizabeth asked that question.

"Well, we simply opened the door."

The red one answered casually.

"Impossible, mere upstart criminals like you couldn't have possibly defeated _my_ guards."

"Well, a pretty reasonable thing to say, those two _were_ valedictorians from I.S. Academy."

The white one answered in a calm, business-like voice.

"Really!? Those were valedictorians? But they were so easy to knock out!"

The red one was taken aback as she heard that they were valedictorians.

"Show some respect, they didn't have high-tech invisibility equipment. The more pathetic ones were the guards stationed outside. Why the damn were they all airborne? They could have at least used some camouflage; they were the easiest targets I've had in days."

The queen, although silent and calm in the outside as she listened to their conversation, was actually quite alarmed, over her short reign as queen, she had become very good at hiding her emotions, so she did not allow either of the two to see her panic. The entire Royal Palace's Guard, taken out by just two I.S. pilots? Just these two I.S. pilots were strong enough to take out all of them? Especially when-

…

Wait a second.

Guard Captain Ellis White rarely ever goes airborne, does she?

The queen grinned inwards, judging by their conversation, they had only taken out the ones who were airborne, moreover, they were only able to beat the Queen's Guard by surprise. But what about their actual combat skills?

"Anyway…"

Elizabeth's train of thought was broken by the white one redirecting her voice towards Elizabeth.

Refocusing her attention to the intruders, Elizabeth widened her eyes in surprise as she saw the white intruder kneel down to her.

"… Queen Elizabeth the third, may I ask a question?"

Hearing those words full of respect, Queen Elizabeth fell silent.

…

…

"… What _stupid_ game are you trying to play?

"Eh?"

Hearing such words, the white intruder looked up, and saw a rather surprising and terrifying sight.

Queen Elizabeth, who was arguably the most powerful woman in the U.K., glared at her in anger.

One could literally feel the bloodlust coming out of her body, directing itself towards the intruder.

Few have ever seen such a site, for the Queen of England was well known as a calm person, rarely showing any signs of anger, other than her trademark glare, putting nearly all emotions aside when dealing with nearly anybody. A hell lot of people who've met her tend to joke that Elizabeth would only lash out in anger when the world ends. Some stupid people actually believe it, too.

Well, if they were right, we would all be fucked by now.

"What _terrible_ joke are you idiots trying to play!?"

The angry aura that surrounded the queen would have caused most people to fall back in fear. But not these people. They would not have fallen back even if an entire nation were against them. The two prepared themselves for the incoming wave.

"You… why the damn are you acting so respectful!? First you kidnap me-

**ME! THE BLOODY QUEEN OF ENGLAND!**

And then act as if I was some random civilian on the streets! Even making completely random bets! Acting like childish idiots, not even acting like you captured

**ONE OF EUROPE'S MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE; THE BLOODY QUEEN OF BLOODY ENGLAND, NO FUCKING LESS!**"

The queen yelled her rage out, her anger unrelenting.

However, in her rare show of emotion, Elizabeth failed to notice the white intruder give the red intruder a signal.

"How could two fucked-up fools like _you_ defeat the Royal Guard in the first place!? You look like student pilots on their first mission, not even knowing what the fuck they're doing!

And only after doing all those insulting acts, do you finally act like you captured someone important!"

The red one, noticing the signs given, walked out of the room.

"**SERIOUSLY WHAT KIND OF SICK GAME ARE YOU TRYING TO-**"

"**ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! ENOUGH ALREADY!**"

Getting tired of her speech, the remaining intruder stood up, and interrupted Elizabeth mid-sentence.

"Sheesh! For a queen who's known to nearly never get angry, you sure can lose your cool, can't you?"

The intruder made a "tsk, tsk" sound with her tongue.

_Well, I guess that's as much time as I can buy._

The queen was somewhat disappointed in herself.

"Anyway, since you seem to have calmed down already, I think it's about time you heard my ques-"

"**HELL NO.**"

Startled by the pressure Elizabeth gave in her answer, the intruder feigned pain, holding her chest.

"W-What!? But I haven't even asked yet!"

Elizabeth used her signature glare. The same one used to scare off opponent I.S. and anybody who has even tried to harm the people of the U.K.

"Why should I help somebody who kidnapped me in my sleep?"

_So the rumors are true, her glare truly is intense._

The intruder made an amused chuckle as she felt the queen's glare, responding with an ice-cold stare of her own.

_Hmm. Not bad for someone who hides in a mask._

Even behind that helmet, the queen felt the glare the intruder countered with, and thus began a battle. Not a battle of strength, not a battle of wits, but a battle of pride. Two lions trying to simply stare down one another, waiting until one of them relents and bows down to the other.

"**Answer my question.**"

Using every bit of 'force' she could muster, the intruder said those words.

"**I refuse.**"

The queen denied, using an equal amount of 'force'.

The battle lasted until the second intruder returned, slamming the door open, and promptly ending the battle.

Annoyed, the two of them turned to her, who interrupted such a battle, both preparing a choice of foul words to say.

But both of them stopped before they could even try to open their mouths.

The white one smiled.

The queen despaired.

Because the red one came in, in one arm, she held two unconscious women dressed in uniform, and in the other hand, she held a sword just inches away from their throats.

The queen knew the two women very well; in fact, one could even say they were friends.

The queen's personal guard, her most trusted advisors; they were one of the few people the queen could ever trust, for they were two of her strongest, and two of her most loyal.

And both of them were right in front of her, just inches away from being killed.

The white one looked at the queen, whose face paled as she saw the two.

"You two done yet? If not, these two just might lose their necks."

Sounding impatient, the intruder moved her blades ever closer to the guard's necks.

"Now…"

Hearing those words, Elizabeth turned to the intruder and glared at her, and knew that behind that mask, she was putting on a victorious face.

"…I think it's about time I asked that question."

* * *

><p><em>How were they able to get there so quickly?<em>

Ellis flew upwards as fast as she could, not stopping for anything, praying that that the queen would be completely safe.

However as she reached the level of the seventh floor she was suddenly blown back into the ground by an invisible force.

_Dammit, I forgot._

The Royal Palace's extensive shielding system.

Although quite annoying to some pilots, the area around the Palace had an extensive shield system.

Firstly, there were stronger-than-average shields located around the walls to stop energy-based weaponry; Second, there was an even stronger energy shield protecting the underground levels of the Palace, which contained most of its military faculties, such as the I.S. research lab and the barracks, and of course, there were the most powerful shield systems located on the fourth floor and above, lowering the flight altitude of everything lower than 1000 feet above, everything in a hundred or so kilometers, and pretty much anywhere around the area, to only 1000 feet, pretty problematic for flight travel.

Of course, the guard had access to the shields, so long as they gave the proper code, which was only given to ranking officers, and thankfully, other than the Queen and her guards, the captain of the guard also had access to the shields.

"Activate emergency protocol 404; requesting permission to access up to the tenth floor."

Ellis said those words to no one in particular.

Listening to silence for a few moments, she finally got the answer she was waiting for:

"Voice Recognition activating... Confirmed... Access granted to captain Ellis White"

A robotic voice that came from nowhere in sight answered Ellis. Rather obviously, actually, it was a message from the supercomputer controlling the defense systems.

As soon as she got confirmation to enter, the captain flew as fast as she could to the tenth floor.

_Please! Let me get there in time!_

* * *

><p>"Hurry up, you've got company."<p>

* * *

><p>Ellis saw it, the top of the palace, and the entrance to the small grand room that the queen resided in.<p>

_Am I too late?_

As she thought herself that, it happened.

The door was burst open from the inside by a red figure, which was exiting the room.

On a closer look, however, one would notice that it was an I.S., slender but dangerous.

_I.S. technology!? Could it be [Phantom Task]!?_

Ellis only thought of that for a moment before shrugging it off.

_Now's not the time to think, now is the time to act!_

Thinking those words, Ellis materialized her sword, the [Knight's Honor] on her right hand.

Charging towards her opponents, Ellis shouted a battle cry.

"Where do you think you're going!?"

Ellis slashed downward, aiming to decapitate her enemy's hand.

Her sword, the [Knight's Honor], was named so because it had been the only weapon she used to win the final round of the [Mondo Grosso], it was the blade that named her the U.K.'s champion, and because of this, it had never left her side. The blade's design was rather simple actually, looking like a classical double-edged sword, except obviously larger, the sword's components however, were far from simple.

Diamonds. Real, authentic diamonds were used in the making of the sword, originally just an experiment to see if the world's hardest mineral could cut down an energy shield, which failed. Mostly.

Of course, it cost the U.K. millions in dollars. And although they enveloped an incredibly sharp and durable one-handed sword, it could not cut through an energy shield, deeming the experiment a failure. Afterwards, it was donated to the Academy, trying to make it of some use. By some twist of fate, it was given to Ellis during her training days in I.S. Academy. It had helped her win multiple battles single-handedly, which made them question the strength of the sword, causing more researchers to further experiment on it. It was then discovered that sword _was_ able to slice through energy shields, given it was swung with enough strength and precision. Seeing as Ellis was able to use the sword well, it was left to her, and she was made a representative candidate.

So undoubtedly, seeing as it has already done so many times, the [Knight's Honor] should be able to cut through the energy shield and reach the enemy, but hopefully not kill her, she still needed to interrogate someone, after all.

The red one, however, had fast reflexes, leaning back to dodge Ellis' attack by a millimeter.

"Not bad, but let's see if you can dodge this one!"

Ellis materialized her secondary weapon, her shotgun, and aimed it at the intruder.

But before she could pull the trigger…

"You're looking the wrong way."

Ellis felt the air suddenly grow cold as an arrow whizzed past her, almost grazing her cheek.

"What in bloody hell-?"

Stepping back from the surprise attack, the young guard captain cursed under her breath.

Glaring at the direction where the arrow was shot out; she saw an I.S., white as snow, in a post-firing position with a bow.

Lowering her weapon, the white intruder hissed.

"I told you not to rush it!"

The red one regained her balance, and assumed a fighting position.

"Sorry! I was just a bit excited."

Assuming her combat position, Ellis aimed her shotgun at her opponents, while readying her sword in her other hand.

"Why are you here?"

Seemingly ignoring her, the two argued.

"Didn't you say you took out all the guards?"

"I said I took out the **airborne** guards, okay?"

Listening to their conversation, Ellis' eyes widened.

"You were the one who took out the guards!?"

"Well, _I_ was the one who took out the queen's guards, but yeah, she froze most of the others. Too bad though, looks like you made it out."

The red one said that, while also stating that she took out the queen's guards in a proud manner.

Ellis, hearing those words, smiled viciously.

"Well… Thanks for saving me the trouble of hunting you down…"

Ellis pointed her shotgun at the white intruder.

"… Now do me another favor! **Go to hell!**"

BANG

A loud noise could be heard as Ellis pulled the trigger on her shotgun.

"Aww… look at all those cute bullets!"

The red intruder said that in a childish manner, disappearing afterwards, only to reappear a moment later, right in front of her ally; then, for a split-second, her entire body became blurry as she made a move to unsheathe the blade on her hip, but when her body stopped blurring, her hand was instead _sheathing_ the blade, while a dozen or so half-shells made a resounding 'CLANG' as they fell to the floor.

All of this happened within the span of a second.

Ellis could not hide the surprise on her face.

"D-did you just slice all of my shotgun shells?"

The red I.S. tilted its head, looking somewhat confused.

"Why so amazed?"

"Wha-!?"

Hearing such an answer, Ellis was taken aback.

"Just follow the bullets."

The intruder shrugged, as if dismissing such an act as something easily done by a newbie.

"What do you mean just follow the bullets!?"

"You know, with your _eyes_?"

Ellis was dumbfounded; she saw the intruder cut off five or six shotgun shells at high speed, in barely a second; and the intruder even acted like it was a simple act that anyone could do.

Thinking about her situation, it finally hit Ellis:

These were no normal I.S. pilots.

They were far beyond the normal abilities of an average thief or criminal, perhaps even at the same level as the elusive [Phantom Task].

After all, in a nearly deserted area, where you could be easily spotted even in the middle of the night, they were able to avoid the detection of other I.S.

After all, they were able to take down nearly all of the Royal Palace's guard, the U.K.'s most elite fighting force, remaining unseen.

Hell, they even got to the queen's quarters just seconds after beginning their assault.

Ellis had been preparing for an event like this for a long time, yet these two I.S. pilots passed through every trick, trap, and defense she prepared, and reached the most defended part of the Palace, the queen's quarters.

These were actual assassins, Ellis could feel it in her blood; she had fought many enemies, and she remembered the abilities of some of the most elite assassins ever known, but these two went far beyond that, they've sliced bullets in two; they've used I.S., which were basically war machines, to sneak right into the Royal Palace, nearly undetected; needless to say, these two were beyond the level of any assassin she had ever encountered, and although they had used mostly surprise to enter the palace, which is what most assassins would do, she could feel that they were skilled enough to defeat even the elite in a duel.

_How long has it been since I've had a proper fight with someone outside of the Palace? Whatever, it's been far too long. I was afraid that I would finally be running out of challenges._

Ellis' blood boiled at the thought of having a good fight; the other guard's fighting styles were beginning to be far too predictable. Now, she could finally have a proper fight.

_No! Not now._

Ellis calmed down, controlling her urge to fight.

_Not now, Ellis. Remember the queen. Remember the queen…_

Although it took time, Ellis finally calmed down.

"You done yet? 'Cause we really need to get going now."

Seemingly bored, the red intruder yawned, offending Ellis.

"Done yet…?"

Ellis raised her blade, taking up a battle stance.

"I haven't even started!"

Letting out an arrogant 'hmph', the intruder unsheathed both of her katana, taking up her own battle stance.

"Then come at me, show me how good the Royal Guards truly are."

"Well if you say so!"

Screaming battle cry, Ellis charged forward.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Amateur."

The red intruder didn't even try, she side-stepped, narrowly avoiding Ellis blade…

… But she couldn't help but widen her eyes as she watched Ellis continue her charge.

"Hey, I'm over here!"

Ellis ignored the red intruder's cry of rage as she continued forward…

… And aimed her shotgun at the white intruder, now a few meters in front of her.

"A feint, not bad…"

The white intruder admitted as she raised her hand in the air…

"… but don't think that just because I use a bow, that I'm helpless at close combat!"

… only to slam her hand on the ground, releasing a wall of icicles in front of her that was quickly growing at an alarming rate towards Ellis.

Ellis reacted by lifting herself off the ground with her boosters, using a single powerful blast to propel herself off of the ground.

"Hmph. Not bad, now dodge this!"

The white intruder raised her hand again, extending towards Ellis, instantaneously, the icicles stopped growing forward, and started growing upwards, attempting to stab Ellis from below.

Ellis let out a low growl as her thrusters let out another powerful burst, propelling her forward towards her opponent, barely avoiding the rising wall of icicles below her.

The icicles blocking her sight, Ellis released a third boost from her thrusters, attempting to find her opponent.

When she reached the very edge of the icicle wall, she looked down, finding the white intruder…

… And an arrow made of ice, aimed at her face at point blank range.

"Say 'ah'!"

"FU-!"

With 100% accuracy, the intruder let loose her arrow.

"Well, close enough I guess."

The red intruder commented, sheathing her katana as she watched the captain of the guard freeze over until her entire body was covered in ice; appearing as if she was an ancient being trapped in amber, lifeless and frozen, unable to move or act.

BLAM

The sound of the now-frozen [Imperial Rebirth] colliding with the ground could be heard.

The white intruder flew downwards until she was right in front of the frozen captain.

"Well, looks like you weren't as tough as we thought you'd be, were you?"

"Yup, although it was pretty fun."

The red one replied, walking towards her snow-white companion.

"We should probably get going, little sis is probably getting impatient."

The white one nodded her head and began hovering toward the exit, her companion leading the way.

**- Where do you think you're going?**

The moment she heard those words, the white intruder turned around, a perfect 360 degrees…

… Or tried to, before being stopped halfway by a **FUCKHUEG** fist.

The energy shields and [Absolute Defense] blocked most of the damage though, making the usually powerful jab quite ineffective…

… For the I.S., the pilot was not so lucky.

"Gah-!"

The red intruder heard her companion's cry and turned around, finding her companion being held by-

"Wait… How the-!?"

The intruder was taken aback, because the person holding her companion was not Ellis White…

… Instead, she was held by the queen of England herself, Elizabeth the Third.

Elizabeth was clad in a bluish white I.S., it's form was as slender as the red I.S.', but more regal looking, an appearance fitting of one with royal blood; unlike most I.S., hers was mostly made out of a special (and incredibly durable) cloth, although there were pieces of armor around the shoulders, the lower leg, the arms, the chest, and the head, the last pieces of metal were adorned with rare gems forming a beautiful crown.

Basically, grab Elsa from Frozen, and give her a nice crown and a knightly look. You get the image.

Both intruders knew this I.S., it was, after all, _the U.K.'s strongest weapon_.

[The Once and Future Queen].

[The Knight-Queen of the Round Table].

Known by such titles, that was the infamous strongest weapon of England, the third generation I.S., [Arthur's Queen], the I.S. piloted by only by the rulers of the U.K. (or their spouses), constantly being updated and strengthened with each generation.

Holding the white intruder using her left arm, the Queen held the blade in her right hand and pointed its edge at the white intruder's neck.

The other intruder growled, reaching for the katana on her hip.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Elizabeth moved her blade closer to her captive's neck, making the edge just barely touch her skin.

The intruder immediately stopped her hand.

"Good girl."

The queen let out a triumphant smirk as she said that.

"How did you get out? I thought we separated you from your I.S."

"Yes you did, and you did do a fairly good job of restraining me; I must admit that if I was alone, I would never have gotten out of those binds."

The red intruder raised an eyebrow behind her mask.

"_If_ you were alone?"

There was an amused glint in the queen's eyes as she spoke.

"Yes, _if._"

Just then, the intruder in the queen's arm realized what had taken place.

"Don't tell me…"

"Looks like you caught on quite quickly."

The queen let out an amused chuckle.

The intruder in her arm did likewise.

The second intruder, not understanding why their amusement, could only let out a confused "Huh?"

As they chuckled, the red intruder caught a small glimpse at the blade in the queen's hands.

"…!"

The red intruder the realized exactly what happened.

Letting out her own chuckle, the red intruder looked took a short glance at the frozen Ellis behind Elizabeth.

_Why didn't I notice it before?_

Ellis' body was in a post-throw position.

Her hand was empty.

_A diamond sword was in Elizabeth's hand._

Looking at her face once more, she noticed the look in the captain's eye.

It was not one of anguish, nor was it one of anger; the look in her eyes simply let out a simple prayer.

_'Please don't hit the Queen.'_

_Was that what you were thinking, Ellis?_

The red intruder thought that.

"She wasn't aiming for you, nor was she aiming for me…"

The white intruder spoke, her voice bitter.

"… The idiot was aiming for _me_."

The queen finished her sentence.

"We… underestimated her."

The red intruder felt a grudging respect for Ellis.

**- Fuck yeah, you did.**

Hearing that voice, the two intruders once more widened their eyes in surprise.

"You've gotta be…"

"Can she actually…?"

The queen, however, unlike the other two, sighed and made an expression on her face that said "Here she goes again…"

"DaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!"

In a single, powerful burst of strength, Ellis White smashed herself out of the ice, sending chunks of her frozen prison all over the room.

"Sorry about that, I'll clean that as soon as this is over."

Stepping out of the remains of the iceberg, Ellis apologized to Queen Elizabeth.

In response to her apology, Elizabeth smiled.

"Make sure you remember that, thanks for the sword though, I'll give it back later."

"You're not angry that I nearly killed you with that?"

"I am, now's just not the time the time to be angry at you."

"Hehehe…"

Although her face seemed calm, an angry aura was seeping out of Elizabeth, causing Ellis to let loose a nervous chuckle.

Meanwhile, while the two were having that conversation, their opponents were dumbstruck.

"Did you just… break open my ice!?"

"Uh-huh."

Hearing the white intruder ask such a question, the captain answered casually.

"**From the inside!?**"

Hearing the other intruder's surprised yelp, Ellis made an amused smirk.

"_Why so amazed?_"

Hearing her own words used against her, the red intruder let out an annoyed "Tsk!"

* * *

><p>Unnoticed by either force, something was flying towards the [Royal Palace] at extreme speed.<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised; I thought the great Ellis White would be good enough to fight two opponents at once."<p>

"Oh, you've heard about me?"

"Who in England doesn't know about you? You're one of [England's Elite], after all."

"I'm flattered, but I know my limits, having a good partner by your side can turn tip the scales of any fight…"

The captain turned her gaze towards Elizabeth.

"… Especially when you're partner's a close friend _and_ one of [England's Elite]."

* * *

><p>Still completely unnoticed, the object flew passed through the high-powered shielding of the Palace that Ellis lowered.<p>

* * *

><p>The red intruder sighed.<p>

"I can't really argue with that, can I?"

"Look, are you gonna surrender yet… or are we just going to have to make you bow down through brute force?"

The queen interrupted the two's conversation, sending a warning to her opponent by inching her blade even closer to her captive's neck.

The intruder opened her mouth to reply, but…

**BOOM**

The sound of the speed barrier being broken multiple times over resonated throughout the area, smashing open the windows, and nearly sending unarmed Queen's Guard off flying, had they not been caught by Ellis.

"Eh?"

The queen, caught off-guard by the sudden interruption, was unable to block the punch to her side.

"Gah!"

Elizabeth let go of the intruder in her arm as she was sent flying all the way to the other side of the room, stopped only by one of the sturdy columns that held it up.

"The only person they're allowed to bow down to is _me_. Got that, _your majesty_?"

Hearing that hiss of contained anger, Elizabeth regained her footing and observed her opponent. Ellis did likewise.

The owner of the voice was the pilot from a jet black I.S., its design was actually quite simple, covering only the pilot's limbs and back; its large hands had their claw-like fingers sharpened to such a point that they themselves were able to cut through human flesh, the surface of the gauntlets, covered with violet energy lines, glowed with sinister light, stretched from the palm of the hands, and all throughout the arms,; the I.S. lower body covered only the lower legs; the entire I.S. was connected by steel pipes, all connected to the torso armor, which only cover the pilot's back; the back armor was covered in violet energy, all leading to two places, the energy hood covering the pilot's head, and the energy wings at its back.

Yes, you read that correctly, wings.

The pair of energy wings, a larger version of the [Silver Gospel's], glowed with a sinister violet light; in total, the I.S. and its pilot gave the perfect image of a futuristic Angel of Death.

Taking a good look at the newcomer, Elizabeth and Ellis felt a chill run through their bodies.

_Wh_y _do I suddenly feel cold?_

Ellis thought that in her head, she had fought dozens of I.S. before, all with their own more terrifying features, but this was the first time she had felt such a chill. There was something about that I.S. that unnerved her. Or was it the terrifying, commanding aura that the pilot gave off that unnerved her?

Meanwhile, Elizabeth remained calm and composed, as she usually did, trying to get a good look at the newcomer's face, so that way she would have an easier time identifying him; but the only thing she could see under that hood were two sharp, dark, violet eyes, cold and unforgiving, as if the pilot had seen too much of the world, seen its mercilessly cruel reality, seen its dark, harsh truth. It was the look of a hardened king, of a battle-worn knight, of an old but strong war hero. But underneath it all she saw something that surprised her; a strange, lingering, mysterious sadness.

"Yuri, Sis… I expected better from the two of you."

As he stood up, the angel spoke coldly, in a voice obviously directed at the two intruders.

"Hehehe… Sorry onii-chan!"

After letting out a nervous chuckle, the red intruder raised a peace sign on her right hand.

"Forgive me, it's my fault for not freezing this last guard… worse, it was the guard captain that I failed to freeze."

The white intruder, now free from her captivity, bent down on one knee and hung her head low as she apologized to the black angel.

"We'll discuss your incompetence when we get home… for now, let's just focus on getting out of here."

The angel's words held finality to them, ending his discussion with the intruders.

As the angel took a step closer to Ellis, she began to feel a dangerous air of authority that matched the look within his eyes; cold, harsh, and undeniably powerful.

"Queen Elizabeth the Third of England… Captain Ellis White, the Winner of the [Mondo Grosso]… two of [England's Elite]… No… Narrowing it all down, the two of you are [England's Elite.]"

Looking back and forth between them, the angel analyzed the two.

"Flattering, but would you first introduce yourself…?"

Intentionally stopping mid-sentence, Elizabeth urged the angel to introduce himself.

"How rude, you didn't ask these two to introduce themselves."

Still facing Elizabeth, the angel motioned towards the other two intruders.

"They were breaking in…"

"And I am not?"

Ellis fell silent.

"Now, if you excuse me, we must be going."

Appearing to be in a hurry, the angel turned around, aiming to leave through the hole he made when he entered.

Seeing him leaving, the intruders did likewise, following him towards his exit.

The queen moved forward and motioned Ellis to stop them.

Being the obedient knight she was, Ellis stood in front of their exit, arms crossed, preventing them from leaving.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth stepped forward loudly, practically stomping the ground, and catching the attention of the three intruders.

Partially annoyed, the angel turned around, facing Elizabeth.

"Oh? But you only just arrived. Besides…"

The queen's smile did not match the angry light in her eyes. Preparing to attack, Elizabeth raised the diamond blade in her hand.

"…I still haven't paid you back for that strike earlier."

Following her example, the pilots in the room raised their own weapons; Ellis materialized her shot gun and took aim at the angel holding her fellow guards in her other hand, fearing for their safety; noticing this, the white intruder moved in front of her and raised her bow, forming a frozen arrow aimed at the guard captain; noticing that the guard captain was already occupied, the pilot in the red I.S., the twin katana in her hands moved in front of the angel and faced the queen, creating a defensive barrier around him.

However, despite that, the angel did not materialize raise any weapon, not even take up a battle stance; he simply stood there, unmoving.

"Hey, are you just gonna stand there?"

Ellis' question only received silence as an answer.

_Something's not right here._

Elizabeth felt uneasy. There was something off about the angel, the calm, calculating look in his cold eyes, the confident aura of his allies, the way they patiently primed their weapons, like elite well-trained soldiers waiting in anticipation for an order about to be given; all of it made her anxious, and she was sure that Ellis was, too.

The angel, finally making a decision let out an arrogant smirk.

"…Hmph."

Losing the arrogant smirk, the angel raised his head high, arms crossed; legs spread out, a stern look in his eyes, and spoke in a proud voice that resounded across the entire palace:

"**Do you truly wish to face us?**"

The effect of the angel's words left the two speechless and agitated his allies.

Realizing that he was waiting for an answer, Elizabeth gave one of the most ancient answers known to man, she raised her (borrowed) diamond sword, pointing it towards the angel, she said:

"**Come at me.**"

Uncrossing his arms, the angel's eyes closed for one moment, but when he reopened his eyes, the queen was taken aback.

Those already dark and cold violet eyes released a truly terrifying glare.

No, it was beyond what could be called a 'glare'.

A glare could never be something as terrifying as the look in the angel's eyes. A glare could never be so menacing, never be so… inhuman. That was the only way to describe it, inhuman. It wasn't a look a normal human being could pull off. It gave one the impression that one was staring into an abyss. A cold, empty, raging abyss; as if there was something… angry deep inside that no one could see, as if it was an unending road leading to hell itself, filled with the anguish and rage of a thousand damned unseen spirits and demons.

Staring into those eyes, the queen, Elizabeth knew for the first time what it was like to truly feel fear.

Although not looking at his hellish glare, one could literally feel the bloodlust flowing out of him.

No. This was not simple bloodlust.

This was not the need to kill.

The angel was going to come at them, no bars held back, with the intent to kill.

_The intent… to kill?_

Elizabeth and Ellis anxiously thought, their battle experience barely suppressing the fear inside them.

_So this… this is what the Japanese call [Killing Intent]._

Ellis recalled that term from the time when one of her fellow guards lent her a Japanese light novel.

Silently, the energy lines along the angel's body grew brighter and brighter, as if reacting to the angel's killing intent.

Without speaking a word the angel raised his hand and opened his hand, revealing the energy circle in the middle of his palm, also glowing with violet light.

"Well then, let's make this quick."

Letting out an inhuman growl that quickly grew into a hellish roar, the angel spun chaotically as two whips of energy extended from his palms. The whips of energy struck nearly random directions, appearing to disregard whatever was damaged.

"Shit!"

Ellis cursed out as she barely dodged a strike.

"Do you know how hard it is to dodge while carrying two unconscious people at once!?"

Ellis groaned, complaining about how she had to dodge while carrying her unconscious allies.

"You're not gonna hit anything if you keep this up. You know that, right?"

Although Elizabeth said that, she was just barely dodging each strike.

"Onii-chan! Slow down a bit will ya? I can't dodge-… Okay, maybe I can dodge everything, but please! It. Is. **Tiring.**"

The pilot of the red I.S. complained in a somewhat casual and even… playful tone of voice while dodging strikes from her 'onii-chan'.

"My lord, forgive me if this causes some damage to your plans, but will **you please hurry up!?**"

Getting impatient, the pilot of the white I.S. yelled in frustration.

Finally, after multiple complaints, insults, and the complete destruction of all the furniture in the room, the angel stopped his chaotic dance and crouched down, one knee on the floor.

Standing up, slightly tired from all the dodging, Elizabeth asked:

"Is it over?"

Intending to answer her question the angel stood, an amused smile plastered on his face.

"If you enjoyed that, then you're gonna _love_ this."

CRACK

CRACK

CRACK

CCCCCCCCCRACKKKKKKKKKK

The sound of all the pillars that held up the room being broken all at once filled everyone's ears.

Immediately after, without anything to support it, the roof began to fall down on the I.S. pilots, which may not actually be fatal, but would be enough to knock them all out for a good amount of time.

Nobody in the room was able to react in time, not even the angel, who obviously planned it all, nor Ellis, who was closest to the exit could possibly escape, but in that instant, although their bodies could not react in time, Ellis and Elizabeth pondered to themselves:

_How did he do it?_

An excellent question really.

How _did_ he do it?

How was he able to tell the location of all the pillars in the room, when he was and dancing like a madman?

His vision was probably all blurry, and he wasn't really looking at where he struck.

If he was just going with only luck, then it should have taken him more time to bring down the pillars, but he had taken all of them down within the span of one minute.

Unless…

_Of course._

The two of them reached the same conclusion, the only possible one:

[Hyper Sensor].

Although not one of the most dangerous, one of the I.S.' many powerful features is the [Hyper Sensor]. The [Hyper Sensor] augments the pilot's five senses to superhuman heights; but what truly makes the [Hyper Sensor] shine is that it **gives the pilot a complete 360 degrees of view without the need to move. **Even with the hood or a helmet on, the pilot would still be able to see a complete 360 degrees around him, due to the fact that the I.S. had an A.I., it would have found a way to see through whatever was around the pilot's head, so long as it was part of the I.S.

Most likely, before he began, perhaps before or during his speech, the angel had used [Hyper Sensor] to memorize the area around him, planning out the possible strategies in case he had to resort to violence.

However, even then, time was still short.

The angel's memory would need to be quite sharp for him to memorize the area around him in such a short time.

_Unless…_

_Could it be possible?_

Both the queen and Ellis thought of the other ways he could have bring down the pillars within the short span of time he had, without memorizing the entire area within thirty seconds.

_Did he…_

_…Directly input the data!?_

Both thought of such an unlikely method.

To simplify it, it meant that he did not receive the 360 degrees of vision around him as a form of data, but rather it was an _actual _360 degrees of vision.

Although there were rumors of such exceptional people among the I.S. pilots; even amongst the most elite, there were only five or so such people that had actually become accustomed to gaining a full 360 degrees of vision

If that was the case, then the pilot would have been able to bring down all the pillars in such a short time span.

_But still, that doesn't change anything. In the end, they still won._

In a moment where time appeared to freeze, Ellis sighed, admitting defeat

Looking up, Ellis finally got a short glimpse at the angel's face as he turned around, as the sun began to rise behind her.

The expression on his face held no emotion at all.

But the look in his eyes, the same as they were a while ago, had become clearer, allowing Ellis to look deeper within those eyes, deep within its cold look, deep within its sinister light, deep within its hidden sadness; she saw gears turning, she saw a strategist preparing to capture a fortress, a villain plotting a way out of jail, a general about to conquer a war.

Looking into those eyes, she realized it.

The way he talked, the way he fought, the way he entered the room.

Each and every one was a calculated move.

Every moment, every second passed, every word spoken- all of it was planned out by him.

Ellis being left unfrozen, his allies being forced into battle, the killing intent he showed- all of it was calculated.

But for what?

What was the purpose of allowing them to be caught? What was the purpose of leaving Ellis, the strongest of the Royal Guard, to chase them down? What was the purpose of entering the [Royal Palace] in the first place?

They had left the riches untouched.

They had left the queen unhurt.

The only thing that was damaged was the Royal Guard, and even they would still able to function perfectly in the near-future.

They had attacked the palace without seemingly gaining anything, and without their opposition losing anything.

So why?

_Why?_

Before she had known, Ellis had asked that out loud.

"Why, you ask?"

In that moment, when time appeared to freeze once more, with a roof coming down at her, before her consciousness slipped-

- It's simply my way of greeting an old friend.

The last words the Ellis heard as the world turned black, the angel's vague answer.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Breaking News:<em>**

**_Tourists planning to view the [Royal Palace] will have to have their plans cancelled due to a supposed attack last night by a group of three unknown I.S. units._**

**_The area around the [Royal Palace] is completely blocked off by the Royal Guard, preventing any access to the Palace. Eye-witnesses describe the Royal Guard at that moment as "very tired, completely drenched, and each of them appeared to have a terrible cold."_**

**_Despite that, neither the queen nor guard captain Ellis White have yet made a statement on the supposed attack on "The Royal Fortress of Europe" until now; however, the Royal Guards assure that nothing was stolen, nor was any permanent damage done to the palace._**

**_However from afar, one could clearly see the top of the Palace, the Queen's bedroom, which is said to be its most well defended point, completely wrecked. The guards however, assure that it will be fixed in around a month, and that no damage was done to the queen._**

**_In other news, the U.S.A.'s rogue I.S., the [Silver Gospel] was recently stopped by a group of six personal I.S. pilots, including England's own Cecilia Alcott and the [Brunhilde's] younger brother, Orimura Ichika-_**

Even after the report on the attack was over, Elizabeth was unable to suppress her raging feelings.

Grabbing the remote on the table, she turned off the T.V.

"Hey! I was still watching that!"

Ellis complained as she tried to reach for the remote in Elizabeth's hand.

The two of them were currently in a waiting room within the underground levels of the Palace, where their I.S. were undergoing maintenance.

Although not much damage was done during the actual battle, the amount of damage their I.S. sustained when the ceiling came down on them was substantial, even with the shielding.

When they awoke, they were already both in the infirmary, along with the entire [Royal Guard], carried there by the maids taking their early morning shifts.

But even after extensive searching, not a trace of any of the intruders could be found.

"Look, I know that you're angry about losing to-"

At the mention of the word 'lose', Elizabeth felt a surge of anger well up within her.

"I did _not_ lose."

Ellis was taken aback at the ferocity of her words.

"Umm… Lisa, are you feeling okay?"

The guard captain spoke not as a servant of the queen, but as her friend, the concern in her voice made that clear.

In the last twenty-four hours, the usually calm Elizabeth had become uncharacteristically angry at least three or four times, something that had greatly worried Ellis, being one of the queen's closest friends.

"Of course I am."

Despite that, the anger in Elizabeth's voice still remained.

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"What's the point of asking that!?"

"That."

Ellis' face took on a more serious look as she pointed a finger at Elizabeth's face.

"That's the point of asking that. Lisa, it's not like you to be angry."

"I'm not angry."

"Uh-huh."

Ellis' voice was flowing with sarcasm.

Before Elizabeth could retort, the sound of the door opening interrupted her.

"Your Majesty, Lady White, excuse my intrusion."

Speaking formally, the old scientist entered the room in his classic lab coat.

"The maintenance on your I.S. has been finished."

"Excellent." Elizabeth said "Thank you for your hard work, you may now rest."

Revealing a kind smile, Elizabeth dismissed the old scientist, who respectfully bowed and left the room.

As soon as she was sure that it was only the two of them, Ellis groaned

"Well, I'm off then; not sure how long the girls can handle the media without either you or me there."

Saying those words, the guard captain stood up, walking towards the door.

"Wait." Elizabeth said, grabbing her friend's hand.

"You noticed it, didn't you?"

There was a strange feel to Elizabeth's voice; the feel of her voice was almost… convinced.

Understanding exactly what she meant, Ellis responded, her voice as grim as the expression on her face.

"It was pretty hard to not notice, Lisa."

Ellis turned around, facing her old friend.

She knew what the queen was referring to.

Because by the way the angel talked…

Because by the deepness of the angel's voice…

Because of the way the angel was addressed…

One could obviously tell-

**-The angel was male.**

"But at the moment, that would seem to be impossible, after all, the news said that he just recently dispatched the [Silver Gospel]."

"My contacts inform me that 'recently' was around six hours before the attack."

"Then they should have told you that his I.S. is currently damaged."

"His I.S. is the "4th generation prototype", [Byakushiki], what we fought wasn't [Byakushiki]."

The guard captain held her ground.

"One of the other intruders called him 'onii-chan'."

Still attempting to dissuade the queen, Ellis stated that out.

"So, what of it?"

"In Japanese, it means 'older brother'; there are only two Orimuras, a younger brother and an elder sister."

"My agents tell me that there is a third Orimura."

Hearing a new piece of information, Ellis was taken aback.

"What!? Are you sure!?"

"…They tell me that the third Orimura is in [Phantom Task], no less."

The grimness in Elizabeth's voice removed any suspicion of deceit.

"…But still-"

Elizabeth raised her hand, interrupting Ellis.

"Don't worry, I'm not saying that I suspect him; from what I hear, Ichika Orimura has no reason whatever to invade the [Royal Palace], nor is he skilled enough to do so."

Hearing those words, Ellis breathed out a sigh of relief.

"However, I must admit that all the clues lead to him…"

Continuing, Elizabeth's voice grew more dreadful.

"If no other suspect is to be found, then…"

"Aye."

Understanding what she meant, Ellis could only agree.

If they have to get to one Orimura…

**Then they'll have to go through the other.**

"If the time ever comes, Ellis, would you be ready to face the world's strongest?"

The dread within Elizabeth's voice reached its climax.

Answering her queen, Ellis spoke in a voice befitting of her title as a knight.

Filled with grim determination, Ellis spoke:

"I will eliminate all those who attempt to harm my queen…"

-**Even if that person is the [Brunhilde].**

* * *

><p>In a dark room gathered three people.<p>

The room was a workshop of sorts.

The room held all sorts mechanisms, mechanical arms, robotic parts, supercomputers…

But the most notable were the four I.S. within it, one red, one black, one snow-white, and another pure-silver.

"So what was the purpose of all that?"

One of the people, a girl no older then fifteen asked out.

"To get this information, of course."

In front of a computer was their supposed leader, a boy with long hair.

He was typing into the computer, giving complicated commands and tasks that no normal computer could take.

This person, was the 'angel' that had lead the attack on the [Royal Palace]

"But my dear older brother, that information could have been retrieved from more… accessible places."

The youngest of the three, no older than thirteen, stated that out.

She made a very reasonable point.

The information they had retrieved was something was actually accessible through other means, less dangerous means.

And yet they went through all that trouble, going through 'The Royal Fortress of Europe', just to ask the queen about it.

"We weren't even sure if the queen had this information in the first place."

The other girl sighed, somewhat annoyed.

"Hehehe… what can I say? I love a challenge."

"And yet you made Yuri-neesama and Onee-sama do most of the work."

To that point, the 'angel' said nothing.

"Well, in the end, what's done is done…"

The 'angel' groaned as he stretched his back

"…and I'm done here."

"I still find it pointless though." The fifteen-year old said. "Couldn't you have found that information elsewhere?"

"Well, these are three years old, you know that?" The 'angel' retorted. "It may have been a blueprint to a third generation prototype, but the world is advancing rather rapidly on I.S. technology; I.S. research is a race, after all, a race where everyone's using every trick up their sleeve to win. Three years ago will not be satisfactory for most."

"It's a race without a finish line though." The youngest of them commented. "And this kind of data we could have retrieved through more direct means, yet you just had to go to the queen and ask just where to get this data, why didn't you just hack in to a random I.S. facility in the U.K.? They probably wouldn't have deleted this data; after all, it's the blueprint for the _very first_ _third generation I.S._, even if it _was_ just a prototype, it would have still been used as basis for something."

"Yes it's a prototype, **a prototype we perfected.**" The 'angel's' cutting remark had left the two speechless. "Well, not exactly perfected, just improved, though it _was_ close. And to think! A single twelve-year old succeeded where those so-called 'professionals' failed." The 'angel's' lips contorted into a condensing sneer. "And why attack the palace? Well _why the fuck not?_ I just simply wanted to remind them that the 'Unbreakable Royal Fortress' is in fact _very_ breakable-"

"**After all, we broke into that fortress back when we were _twelve_, what's to stop us from breaking in _again_?"**

A silence enveloped the room after the 'angel's' arrogant statement.

The fifteen-year old girl broke the silence with a sigh.

"You know, no matter how many times I hear about that, it's always so unrealistic. You know? A bunch of children, three twelve-year-olds and a ten-year old, breaking into the [Royal Palace]."

"All you need is a genius intellect, a twin sister, an adorable little sister, have all three of you trained on the streets by beating up street gangs for as long as you can remember, an unstoppable drive to succeed, a few other things, and lots of luck and prayers. And it's possible."

"…Well, I don't know about 'a few other things' but I already have the rest… Well, except luck and prayer of course. Now if you excuse me, I just got a job."

Their conversation finished, the fifteen-year old girl rose from her seat, heading towards the exit.

"Be back soon!"

That left the two of them.

"Onii-sama, what do you intend to do with this data?"

Curious, the thirteen-year old asked.

"I intend to finish what I started that day, three years ago."

"You mean…"

"**You're going to perfect [Blue Tears]?**"

Hearing those words, the 'angel' smirked.

"Of course. I left one too many flaws in that one." The angel sighed. "Then again, it was my first experience making a real I.S., even if I was a genius; I was still thirteen years old after all." The boy smiled as he reminisced about the past. "I remember it so well, it was almost as if it was just yesterday; just the four of us breaking into the palace, now that I think about it, the amount of sorcery we had cast just to get past the guards was staggering." Wallowing into memory, the 'angel' let out an amused chuckle. "Man, I miss those times."

Seeing her older brother happy, the young girl lightly smiled.

"And so do I, onii-sama."

Suddenly, the 'angel' stretched, yawning after the amount of work he had done.

"Hey sis, think you can call your sister for me?"

"Of course, onii-sama."

Bowing lightly, the girl left the room to fetch her older sister.

As soon as he was alone, the lone boy sat on his chair, talking to no one in particular.

"Out of all those times, out of all the things we've been through, there's still one thing I miss the most out of all of that."

The boy stared into the computer, into [Blue Tear's] blueprint, and it reminded him painfully of the person he was referring to.

"And that's you. Ce-ci-li-a."

Bitterly smiling, he whispered the name of the girl who he hadn't seen for three years.

* * *

><p><strong>Here, I'll keep my old notes:<strong>

**There it is, the longest I've ever done, 10 000 words.**

**Note that I deliberately not describe Ellis and Elizabeth, I don't have a complete image of them yet.**

**As unrealistic as it is to have a bunch of _children_ getting past high security palaces, I did so anyway, why? It's a fanfic.**

**Now that I look at the word count again, I remind myself, this is the largest chapter I have ever made till now. So Bravo!**

**Forgive me if some of this stuff was sloppy, some of the stuff here I wrote while I was really sleepy.**

**It's getting a little bit harder to get myself to work though, not because I'm not interested in this one, but rather because a lot of my other ideas have been pulling on me for a while.**

**Especially the one on Sword Art Online. My classmates have been praising that one.**

**If you're curious about that story... just check my account, all of my ideas have been there since I made it six or seven months ago.**

**I'm not sure if I've gotten better or worse, or haven't changed at all, I don't know. Anyways guys, thanks for reading my story, I'm really glad you did.**

**'Till next time guys!**


	2. The Game has Just Begun

**Take note that I'm currently following the Light Novel, starting from after volume 8, mostly the original version; because the anime diverged a bit, so you might wanna read that; otherwise, you probably won't understand some parts of the story.**

**Also, concerning the the appearances of the I.S., I'll be using the rewritten versions of them for basis, since I don't know how to paste links in here, try searching the Infinite Stratos wiki, the pictures are there. I'm using them because they all give a more futuristic feel. I mean really, admit it, [Akatsubaki's] giant flying sakura petals are pretty fucking awesome. Sadly though, the new [Raphael Revive custom 2], although the most futuristic, is slightly lacking awesome, cool, and badass; therefore, I will be using the image next to it (check the wiki page for details).**

**Take note that I have limited knowledge about the real American Military Air Force (and the Army, and the Navy), and about every other real life stuff I placed down here, relying on a quick research, so I may have gotten some facts here wrong, and remember that this is set around ten or twenty years in the future.**

**And that this is nothing but a work of fiction**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy reading this.**

* * *

><p>Ichika slashed.<p>

Although he knew it was futile, he drew his sword, the [Yukihira Type 2] and slashed.

The opponent in front of him, a dark shadowy apparition, held nothing in its hands, no sword, no axe, no hammer, only its fists.

But that did not stop it from pummeling down Ichika to the ground.

CLANG!

Ichika blocked once more, but it was all for naught, he could feel his grip on the [Yukihira] slipping.

CLANG!

Each blow was stronger than the heaviest hammer.

CLANG!

Every strike, more devastating than any axe.

CLANG!

Every hit, more damaging than the sharpest blade.

CLANG

The sound of clashing that once resonated throughout that white space came to a halt.

The [Yukihira Type 2] flew from Ichika's hand.

Still, Ichika refused to surrender; although he believed it was futile, he stood up and raised his secondary weapon, [Setsura], in defiance.

"Orimura… Ichika…"

For the first time since their battle had begun, the apparition spoke in its raspy, but resonant voice.

With its large, shadowy fist raised above its head, the apparition prepared to strike Ichika.

"You…"

Ichika put all his energy into the fist that held [Setsura]; and as he did so, a giant hand, a claw made of blue energy formed, that was all that stood between the apparition and his inevitable victory.

"…are…"

Ichika charged, screaming battle cry.

The apparition did not take a step.

It swung its shadowy fist into Ichika's energy claw.

By mass and size alone, the claw should have won.

Sadly, that was not the case.

Ichika was blown away.

"**…weak.**"

The last sight that entered Ichika's view was the apparition standing above him, dark wings spread out, and left fist raised once more, preparing to deliver the killing blow.

"Ichika… Orimura…"

**"You. Are. Weak."**

The black fist smashed downward.

* * *

><p>"Orimura! How many times must I tell you; no sleeping in class!"<p>

Waking up, the first thing that greeted Ichika was his older sister and her (in)famous handbook.

Unable to escape her wrath, Ichika felt a great pain on the top of his head.

_Since when were handbooks supposed to be **this** lethal!?_

Ichika did not dare to say that out loud, would he do so, his skull would be split in two…

That is, if his skull was still intact.

As his sister's voice rang loudly through the classroom, Ichika's classmates could not help but let out a giggle.

This was not the first time Ichika was being scolded by his sister.

Some theories suggest that he even enjoys it.

Meanwhile, across the room, Houki face-palmed at her friend's actions.

_Ichika…when will you get rid of your sleeping habits?_

Cecilia, on the other hand, shook her head in disappointment.

_When will he listen to the class for once?_

At the very back of the class, Charlotte smiled nervously.

_Well, it's better than the alternative… when he actually listens, he literally faints…_

At that moment, the one beside Charlotte, Laura struck the one thought that everyone else was thinking:

_Maybe I should tutor him…_

At the same time, the four personal I.S. pilots stared at each other wearily.

_Don't_ _you_ _dare_ _get_ _in_ _my_ _way!_

Sparks flew across the room as the four love-struck girls glared at each other.

Noticing the malice between the four, every person in the room began sweating nervously.

_Nearly_ everybody.

Completely oblivious to their strife was Ichika Orimura, whose density was famed throughout the entire school.

Then again, he had his own set of problems…

Mainly his sister's scolding and the school handbook.

* * *

><p>In a large metal room, the boy waited.<p>

In front of him was a table, a single giant metal chessboard, with at least sixty squares on each side, the only thing other than him that resided in the room.

However, for such a large chessboard, the pieces on the board numbered only twelve, four on the black side, and eight on the white, all of them transparent.

On the black side stood the king, one knight, one bishop and one rook.

On the white side, on the opposite end of the board from the boy, stood the king, two queens, three rooks, one bishop, and one knight.

In a normal game, one would probably say that the white side held the advantage.

However, this was obviously not a normal game.

None of the pieces moved; nor did the boy make them move.

The silence was disturbed by the sound of footsteps.

A girl entered the room.

Her violet eyes and long black hair matched perfectly with the boy's.

Her height was slightly above average, but her face held a sort of childish cheer, filled with vigor and youth.

Her red hoodie had its zipper opened halfway, revealing a black shirt, and giving the illusion that her breasts were slightly larger than they actually were; her skirt stopped somewhere halfway to her knee, high enough to not hinder her movement, yet low enough to hide the boxers that she was wearing underneath and her shoes were made to be light, yet despite that, the old sneakers didn't seem very worn out.

With a big smile plastered on her face, the girl ran towards her brother, and hugged him tightly.

"OOOOOONIIIIIIIII-CHAAAAAAN!"

Being embraced by his sister, the boy groaned.

"… Sis… stop… can't… breathe…!"

Gasping for air, he desperately tried to pull his sister off of him.

Quickly letting go of her brother, the girl bounced up and down in excitement.

"O- Onii-chan! Did you hear!?"

"Hear… what?"

Still trying to stabilize his breathing, the boy wondered what news his sister was talking about.

"The U.N.-"

"Yeah, I already heard."

Realizing what she was talking about, the boy interrupted his sister mid-sentence.

"- They finally gave up trying to chase us right?"

Her smile unbroken, the sister nodded her head vigorously.

Some time ago, they had caught news of the U.S.' I.S. prototype, the [Silver Gospel's] rampage.

While the world's governments focused their attention on the rampant I.S., they had taken that chance to break into the most well-defended area in all of Europe: The Royal Palace.

The Palace and its defenses alone cost a large fortune; the I.S. that guard the Palace had cost more than enough to damage the U.K.'s economy for five years before it was stable again. And even now, the economy still had a hole here and there.

Despite their focus on the rampant I.S., only four factors had allowed them through to the queen's chambers:

1.) The guards had grown somewhat lax from not having a challenge for years;

2.) The guards did not expect their opponents to have their own I.S., much less three of them at once;

3.) The guards did not expect an attack, seeing as the other nations were weary of the rampant [Silver Gospel]; and

4.) They had already broken into the Palace in the past.

In the end, they got what they wanted; and left as quickly as they could.

Unable to see a glimpse of their attacker's human forms, the Royal Guard instead sent a description of their I.S. to the U.N.

None of them were found in the database.

The search lasted for only a few weeks; with nothing but a description of the I.S., the U.N. would eventually give up. It had only been a matter of time.

"Hopefully, they'll believe us members of [Phantom Task]; those two might not, though."

The boy referred to the two I.S. pilots that had intercepted them as they escaped; Queen Elizabeth III and Guard Captain Ellis White.

"You think they know that onii-chan's a boy?"

"I'd be surprised if they didn't."

Answering his sister's question, the boy shrugged.

Before his sister could say anything else, a ringing sound interrupted her.

Pulling his phone out, the boy checked the caller and gestured for his sister to leave.

"I'll be busy for a bit, think you can go play with Alice?"

Understanding just how long her brother meant by 'a bit', the girl happily skipped away.

The boy checked the caller again before pressing the call button.

"So, you found her yet, Yuri?"

The caller had been his 'second-in-command', a girl by the name of Yuri.

"Yes onii-sama, she has been here in Texas for a few days now."

The voice that replied was dignified, proud, and filled with an unnecessary formality.

The boy sighed at his friend's overly formal reply.

"Good to know, think you could connect me to her?"

"If that is what you wish."

Once more sighing at his friend's formality, the boy thanked her.

"Thanks Yuri, I can always count on you to get the job done, can I?"

"I am only doing my duty as your second-in-command."

Hearing the boy's praise, the second-in-command replied formally.

A few seconds passed.

"Yo, you over there?"

A laid-back, rude, and friendly voice; completely opposite to the last, came from the phone. This voice belonged to an old friend of the boy, a girl named Beatrice.

"Yeah, it's me B, how's it been?"

"Fine so far, business is booming, as always."

Knowing what her line of 'business' was, the boy chuckled.

"Hey, you're one of _my_ pupils after all. It would be strange if you weren't that in demand."

"Haha! Can't really deny that, can I?"

Beatrice laughed heartily, but arrogantly.

"So has Yuri told you about the job I'm offering?"

"Yeah, I heard."

"And the report?"

"Yeah, I read that too."

"So you up for it?"

"Sorry, can't, currently in a contract right now, some apparently new high-tech bomber jets are supposed to have a test run sometime soon."

"How soon?"

"Not sure, the information they received was pretty vague."

Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, the boy called out to his second-in-command.

"Yuri."

"Yes, onii-sama?"

"This line is secure, right?"

"Of course."

"…Do you remember a Lieutenant General Daniels from the Air Force?

"You mean the one who paid us for that assassination two months ago?"

"Yes; that one. Think you add him to the line?"

"Yes, onii-sama. It will take some time, though."

"As always, thanks Yuri."

Seeing a chance to speak, Beatrice piped up.

"So you were the guys that assassinated Richards?"

Answering her question, the boy chuckled.

"Nah, it was just Yuri, Alice and sis. They chose a bad time to explore the North Pole. Fuckers didn't even know that they were there. Hell, they didn't even know he was assassinated! By the way, how'd you know he was assassinated?"

"Well for one thing, he was reported to 'have died of frostbite', so pretty much anyone who knew of you would have guessed that Yuri had a hand in this. Next would be the timing, was it really just pure coincidence that one of the men elected for Lieutenant General during the Second U.S.-Vietnamese War was assassinated before the attack had begun? With only a few days to appoint another General, the Senate would have to hurry the process a bit, and the position would have fallen to the only other tactical genius in service, Chief Master Sergeant Daniels. That gives us two suspects: The Vietnamese, and Daniels."

"Mhmm, not bad."

Impressed by his friend's display of knowledge, the boy praised her."

"I'm not done yet. Apparently, in the reports, they reported that _a little girl_ had somehow gotten a hold on a radio, luckily contacting the nearby base."

"Ha! Sis always loved it when Alice uses her youth to her advantage. But how were you sure that Alice would be the child ambushing them?"

"Well, he was being escorted by an I.S."

"Oh, I remember that report. 'After being ambushed by a rogue I.S., Command Chief Master Sergeant Richards is separated from his escort in a snowstorm. Three days later, he is found dead."

"I wonder why'd they left out that part about the little girl."

"Eh, I pulled a few strings."

"Always looking out for your comrades are ya?"

Beatrice chuckled before continuing.

"That 'rogue I.S.' must've been your sis, wasn't it? Yuri was probably the one who whipped off that snowstorm."

"Not bad. Not bad."

Mentally applauding Beatrice, his conversation with her was cut short by Yuri.

"Onii-sama, I have a hold on his phone."

"Excellent, put him on the line."

Another few seconds of silence passed.

"Who is this?"

An impatient voice escaped the phone.

"Ah, Lieutenant General Daniels; shouldn't your term have passed already? It's been more than a week since the end of the second Vietnamese war after all."

"Well, the cleanup takes time; there are guerilla forces all over the place."

"However…"

The impatient voice took on a more serious tone.

"That's not what you want to talk about, am I correct?"

Although Daniels could not notice, the boy had barely contained the condensing sneer that he almost put on.

"How perceptive, General Daniels."

The boy straightened the collar of the business suit he wore, and stood up straight; putting on a more formal aura that could be felt even from the other side of the phone, he spoke:

"Well, since you seem to be a busy man, I'll make this straight, I hear that some prototype aircrafts are having a test flight over Texas soon, would you mind telling me the exact time of the flight?"

"That's on a need-to-know basis."

The Lieutenant General answered briskly.

"Now if that is all, just tell me your name and I'll forget that any of this happened."

"Sorry Daniels, but that is on a need-to-know basis."

"Look, I don't know who you are, but do you know who you're trying to mess with?"

His voice growing dangerously annoyed after hearing his own words used against him, Daniels barely contained a yell.

_Bull's-eye._

"Yes. Lieutenant General Daniels of the Air Force, am I not correct? Formerly ranked Chief Master Sergeant, if I remember correctly."

The boy sneered

"**You used my subordinates to assassinate Command Chief Master Sergeant Richards.**"

Silenced passed once more.

Hearing those words, Daniels' heart nearly stopped.

Only one person would dare to call the three he hired 'subordinates'.

Desperately trying to calm down, the General stammered as he spoke.

"I- I don't-"

"**Don't play fucking dumb with me.**"

Faking impatience, the boy growled into the phone, his voice growing vicious.

"**August 9, a few days before the Second Vietnamese War, Command Chief Master Sergeant Richards is offered to be Lieutenant General, a plane is sent to retrieve him, but he disappears, attacked by an unknown I.S. before the plane arrives. Twelve hours before that, you hired three of the Underworld's strongest, [Fortress Breaker], [Decem Laminis], and [Winter Angel] to assassinate him. Three days later, Command Chief Master Sergeant Richards is found dead, supposedly by frostbite, and you are there to take his place. However, Vietnam is under suspicion of violating the Alaska Treaty because of the impeccable timing of the attack.**"

"**After two months, the Royal Palace of England is attacked by a group of I.S., one of which matched the description of the unknown I.S. that attacked Richards. Suspecting Vietnam to have played a part in the attack, the U.K. joins the war; the combined forces of the U.K. and U.S. quickly bring down the Vietnamese opposition. Unable to find the unknown I.S. in Vietnamese territory, the U.K. apologizes swiftly, aiding the Vietnamese rebuilding effort.**"

"**Tell me, _temporary_ Lieutenant General Daniels, do you know what would happen if the U.K. and Vietnam were happen to hear word of your assassination request? What would happen to you and to your military career? What kind of damage it would cause to your reputation?**"

A deadly silence passed after the boy's threat.

"… 3:00 p.m. tomorrow sharp."

"How high up?"

"Around sixty kilometers above ground level, goes from Florida to California, the target's been placed in a deserted area in Texas; if estimations are right, it should reach California in around thirty minutes or one hour."

"Don't fuck with me, no jet goes that fast, or that high."

Noticing how off the statistics were, the boy hissed into the phone.

"That's no bomber jet, is it?"

"…"

"**Answer me!**"

The boy roared into the phone.

"…"

The words escaped the phone.

The boy raised his eyebrow, as if saying 'that was it?'

"Now if you excuse me, I'll be off."

The Lieutenant General hung up briskly.

…

"Well… that was an interesting piece of information."

As soon as she was sure that Daniels was gone, Yuri broke the silence.

"Interesting indeed."

The boy agreed.

"Did you hear all of that, Beatrice?"

"Like hell I did."

Beatrice groaned.

"This is gonna be troublesome."

"That's an understatement; your employer's info was off, waaaaay off."

Emphasizing the problems in Beatrice's info, the boy sighed.

"Do you still wish to continue, Beatrice?"

Yuri asked, slightly concerned.

"Well, if I can renegotiate the payment."

"And the job I offered you? I'm pretty sure you'll have lots of free time after this."

Hearing the boy remind her off his offer, Beatrice laughed.

"Since when did **Beatrice Cassidy** of all people, not join in on any of your crazy ideas?"

On her side of the line, Beatrice released a vicious smile.

"I'm in. Hell you don't even have to pay! After all, you gave me [Angel Down], and made me one of the best goddamn I.S. pilots in the Underworld! If **[Evil Angel]**, of all people sent a request, what right do I have to deny?"

On her own side of the line, Yuri smiled, content with Beatrice's answer.

"Good to know that you remember your place, [Angel Down]."

"Why thank you, [Winter Angel]."

Hearing his subordinates being friendly, the boy, [Evil Angel], smiled as well.

"Well I'm off; Alice might not be able to survive much longer; Yuri, I expect you to be back within the week; and Beatrice-"

"Good luck, I hear that [Silver Gospel] is more dangerous with its pilot on."

* * *

><p>Putting down her phone, a small girl sighed.<p>

Her long hair was tied into a ponytail, its length nearly equaling her own petite frame; she had four small earrings, three on the left and one on the right; on her lip was a small scar and a pair of fangs escaped the upper part of her mouth, which made her face thuggish, but somewhat cute.

The upper half of her body was covered by a plain black shirt which did not hide her shoulders. She wore pair of jeans, the lower half of which was a little too big for her, leather gloves, somewhat worn out from use, and combat boots, which somehow fit her small legs perfectly.

All-in-all, Beatrice Cassidy looked like a twelve year old delinquent.

Although that may be, she only seemed twelve; in truth, she was actually fifteen years old… even if she did stand at 4'9".

Mumbling to herself, Beatrice grabbed and put on her denim jacket. Leaving her tent, Beatrice covered her eyes from the blinding sunlight.

_Well… I guess that when you're this close to Mexico…_

Beatrice reached into her tent, and grabbed a black cowboy hat.

_Much better._

Putting her hat on, she sighed in relief.

The area was mostly barren save for two tents, Beatrice's and her employer's, she had requested the two of them to be on separate tents for privacy; her employer had not stated why he was after the 'new technology, but he had brought a ton of equipment with him, perhaps he plans to reverse engineer it?

Regardless, so long as she was paid, Beatrice didn't care.

Entering her employer's tent, Beatrice felt all the heat suddenly go away.

_An air-conditioned tent? This guy's richer then I originally thought… Looks like that's another zero for me._

Greedily thinking that, Beatrice grinned.

The inside of the tent was filled with nothing but equipment, save for the dozen or so scientists and engineers within it. Her employer did not personally come, so the only way to communicate with him was by phone. Sadly, Beatrice didn't have his number, relying on the scientists to communicate with the employer.

One of the scientists approached Beatrice.

"Miss Cassidy, it's best you get ready. The aircrafts could be arriving any moment now."

"Change of plans, I need to see _him_ immediately."

Making it very clear what she meant by 'him', Beatrice ordered the scientist to call her employer.

The scientist frowned.

"Miss Cassidy, the time you waste here may put the operation in jeopardy-"

"**Shut up and call him.**"

Saying so, Beatrice raised her right fist, revealing an insignia, pair of upside-down blood-red burning wings, folded in such a way that it looked like a blazing flame.

This was [Angel Down] in standby form.

Understanding that continuing the verbal struggle would mean death, the scientist audibly gulped, and lead Beatrice to the main computer.

A moment later, a black silhouette appeared on the screen.

"**What do you want, Beatrice?**"

The voice coming from the speakers was deep and intimidating. Despite that, Beatrice did not flinch.

"Change of plans, your information's messed up."

"**On what grounds do you believe this?**"

"Let's just say I have an… informant."

Leaving a vague answer, Beatrice shrugged.

"Regardless, the fact does not change that unless you raise my pay, this operation ain't happening."

"**Oh really? Is the Underworld's [Hellfire Angel] really so scared of a few fighter jets?**"

With a small chuckle in his voice, the employer mocked Beatrice.

"No, I ain't, but what I am afraid of is how much I'm gonna have to pay for damage costs. After all, it took five I.S. to take it down the _last time it went wild_."

Realizing what Beatrice meant, her employer became voice took an irritated tone.

"**Are you doubting my informants, Beatrice!? You expect their report to be _that_ off!? My information network has never been wrong in the past.**"

"Well, there's a first time for everything."

Knowing that Beatrice was intentionally but indirectly insulting his information network, her employer became angry.

"**Are you suggesting that my informants are incompetent!? Well what of your informant!? What power does he have over me? What makes you believe that a single simple lowly informant could-**"

"**[Evil Angel].**"

He stopped mid-sentence.

The employed scientists and engineers froze. All work had been halted in the room; not a sound was heard.

A chill had spread into the bodies of everyone in the room, even the employer, who was oceans away could feel it.

But it was not from the air-conditioning.

It was not from Beatrice's rage that had been incurred the moment her employer insulted her 'informant'.

It had been from the words that escaped Beatrice's mouth.

On the other end of the line, her employer began sweating profusely.

"**You dare to doubt, and even call [Evil Angel] _lowly_?**"

Now there lay two problems for him.

The first problem.

If he was not able to defuse Beatrice's anger, not only would the operation be destroyed, but he would be hunted down by one of the Underworld's best I.S. pilots.

And the second problem.

He had insulted [Evil Angel].

Although it was unintentional, he had not known, the fact still remained, he had insulted _[Evil Angel]_.

If [Winter Angel]-

No; _when_ [Winter Angel] hears that he had insulted _[Evil Angel]_, his death would only be a matter of time.

Regardless of what happened now, his chances of survival were zero.

Unless his operation was successful, that is.

**"…How does 50 000 000 dollars sound like?**"

Attempting to negotiate, he had increased the payment ridiculously high.

"…Double the price."

After thinking it over, Beatrice relented; but still her anger had not cooled one bit.

"**Deal.**"

The answer was heard immediately.

After finalizing the negotiations, Beatrice's employer had left, leaving only a black blank screen; but even then, she was seething with anger.

As soon as she had left the tent, Beatrice let out a savage hiss.

"You think 100 000 000 dollars would actually be enough to compensate for that insult?"

Making sure that nobody was listening, Beatrice grabbed her phone and dialed in a number.

…

…

"Good morning. May I ask who wishes to call me at this time?"

An overly formal tone of voice answered her call.

"Hey, it's me."

* * *

><p>Ichika was worn out.<p>

He had been enduring brutal classes for the past few hours, and his mind was unable to take much more.

It was not that he hated classes; on the contrary, he was actually quite eager to learn, he had admired his sister's I.S. piloting skills, however, as a boy, he was unable to learn a single thing about piloting the war-machines, putting him far behind the women, who were well-educated on the topic

The first time he had begun to learn about an I.S.' capabilities a few months back.

His first time piloting an I.S. was one of the most confusing moments of his life.

But he had felt it.

Even though it was his first time, he had felt it. The power that was just in his hand, the amount of damage he could do.

_If I master piloting an I.S.… will I finally be able to do something?_

Immediately he had thought of those words.

All his life he had been protected by his sister; his grades was just able barely to let him pass, he could barely do anything for myself.

Although he was not bullied, he knew just how bad the sexism really was in his time. Only his sister's name had kept him and his friends safe.

But after he was kidnapped those many years ago, he soon grew tired of it, of living in his sister's shadow, of standing and watching everything unfold in front of him.

He had decided then, that moment when he first put on [Byakushiki].

_With these hands, I'll change the world._

The line was old-fashioned, cliché even, but that was what he had honestly thought.

The sexism had to end.

And Ichika was probably the human male's best shot at ending it.

He had thrown himself in when the school forced him to enroll.

So now, here he was at school, there were about five minutes left until the bell finally rung; and afterwards he was going to have to face Houki's 'tutoring' (which mostly involved Ichika being severely beaten).

"Oh!"

Suddenly remembering something important, Ichika's teacher, Ms. Yamada, stopped writing on the blackboard and turned to the class.

"Class, I forgot to mention this, but since Orimura-san is going to be busy for a while, today we'll be receiving a new I.S. piloting teacher!"

As soon as Yamada had announced that, the classroom was suddenly buzzing with activity.

"A new teacher…"

"Do you think she's gonna be as strict as Orimura-sensei?"

"I hear that she's a foreigner."

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH."

Interrupting the students' constant stream of chatter, Chifuyu caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"Just because I'm busy doesn't mean that I won't be here for class."

Chifuyu began walking around the silent classroom, each step echoing loudly.

"However, since this person insisted on becoming a teacher, the board had to go with it… not like we didn't want her, but the amount of paperwork that we had to go through…"

Chifuyu grumbled the latter half of the sentence under her breath.

* * *

><p>[Evil Angel] stretched his back.<p>

_Well, now that that shit's done._

Before leaving the metal room, [Evil Angel] took one last look at the giant steel chessboard before turning away…

…and snapping his head back again after noticing the sudden change in the number of chess pieces.

_That chess piece is _not_ supposed to be there._

* * *

><p>"The new teacher is a very experienced I.S. pilot."<p>

* * *

><p>Making a waving motion with his hand, [Evil Angel] moved the thirteenth piece closer and examined it as it hovered in front of his eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>"She is not just experienced, she is talented, very talented; and famous, some of you might even know her, so be thankful that she's deciding to teach you for free."<p>

* * *

><p><em>A horse… No. A knight… <strong>A grey knight<strong>…_

* * *

><p>"Also…"<p>

Chifuyu stopped next to Cecilia and glanced at her.

"She's from the U.K."

Chifuyu continued walking, leaving a curious Cecilia.

* * *

><p>Immediately, his mind flashed back to the only time he had seen a grey knight.<p>

He couldn't help it, [Evil Angel] laughed loudly.

Why was he laughing?

Not even he was sure why.

* * *

><p>"You know what? I'll just leave the introducing to her."<p>

Having made a full round around the classroom, Chifuyu opened the door.

"Come in."

As soon as she walked in, half of the girls in the class gasped.

The other half held back their inner fangirl.

Ichika, the sole male of the class, simply stared, slightly dumbfounded.

He had seen this person before.

* * *

><p>"So… to think that you would be the one to make the first move."<p>

The boy chuckled.

"Very well. Not that it matters."

Grabbing the holographic grey knight piece (don't ask how), [Evil Angel] slammed it into the ground; in the exact square he had grabbed it from, near the white side of the board.

* * *

><p>Cecilia nearly fell asleep in the middle of class. In fact, she was still feeling sleepy, even as Chifuyu was introducing the new teacher<p>

But seeing the person in front of her, Cecilia's sleepiness suddenly disappeared.

Her blonde hair might as well have been weaved from sunrays, so yellow and bright that it was nearly silver. Her skin was no different; they were white, just like pretty much anybody from the United Kingdoms, but smoother and more elegant than most. She was wearing a white blouse and a pair of shorts, exposing her arms and legs. It was impossible to doubt that she was from the U.K. She looked so white it was if racism had taken on a human form.

Her body build was tall and slender, at least five inches taller than everyone else in the room, and when I mean slender, I mean _slender_ seriously, she just barely qualified for an A.

She was beautiful.

She was undeniably beautiful.

But what really caught everyone's attention were her eyes.

Her green eyes were cold, elegant and powerful. Those eyes exuded an aura of authority. They dominated every person in the room. Just by looking at those eyes, Ichika felt his whole body stiffen, and so did everyone else. Those eyes commanded them to be still. And they could only follow.

However Cecilia, unlike the rest, was unfazed by her eyes.

Standing up, Cecilia pointed at her old friend at the front.

"Ah! Good to see you again Cecil."

Noticing Cecilia, the new teacher smiled in a friendly manner as the look in her eyes softened.

"W- What are you doing here-

* * *

><p>Speaking to the girl who was not there, [Evil Angel] roared out in a manner so bombastic and showy that it would have made Lelouch Britannia and Light Hayagami proud:<p>

"Come! Show me what you can do! I dare you to strike me down! You may have made the first move, **but the game has only just begun! So come at me-**

* * *

><p><strong>- Ellis!? <strong>

**- Guard Captain Ellis White!**


	3. Stop the Unbreakable I

Ellis White.

Winner of the [Mondo Grosso], Captain of the [Royal Guard], Lancelot of [England's Elite], England's [Grey Knight]… The list of titles goes on and on

Not only is she a winner of the [Mondo Grosso] (as her name implies), she is highly regarded as one of, if not **the** I.S. best pilot in Europe.

Now why would someone like her want to teach I.S. piloting to first-years?

Ichika thought of this as he lay down on his bed.

It's true that teaching at the I.S. Academy was quite prestigious, but she led the _Royal Guard,_ which held not only the _most skilled_ pilots in England, but also the _largest_ I.S. fighting force outside of the Academy, the only one that numbered at least five I.S. pilots; the amount of bargaining, bribing and diplomacy required to create it nearly destroyed the English Economy. But some would say it was worth it. England officially has _the _most I.S. pilots in the known world (outside of the Academy, that is), making it the most terrifying force during wartime; the [Royal Guard], however, along with I.S. Academy, are sworn off of war due to the Alaska treaty, lowering their actual battle uses low, turning them to the equivalent of threatening your enemy with an array of nuclear missiles. Anyone stupid enough to not back down then is usually torn apart by the GODDAMN NAVY.

But if The Alaska Treaty were ever broken…

Well…

Going on isn't really necessary is it?

So why would someone as prestigious and as powerful as _Ellis White_ become a high school teacher?

Ichika could not help but feel suspicious.

_Well, at least I get to have some peace…_

Ichika, already quite tired due to class and Houki's 'tutoring', calmed down, trying to relax.

After a long line of roommates and chaos, Ichika's room had finally become his sole property and silence finally reigned.

However, fate decreed that it was not to be.

Nearly immediately after thinking such thought, Ichika heard a sound he knew all too well.

The sound of someone knocking on his door.

"…Can't I have even a little peace and quiet for myself?"

Being the gentleman he was, Ichika groaned and complained as he got off his bed.

_Please don't let it be Cecilia and her cooking. Please don't let it be Cecilia and her cooking._

Opening the door, Ichika continuously repeated that prayer in his head.

_Please don't let it be- Wait, never mind, Cecilia was fine._

However, after finding the person on the other side of the door, Ichika took his prayer back.

In front of him stood Ellis White.

"Ellis-sensei!"

"Yes, Ichika-san?"

Compared to Ichika's surprised expression, Ellis was calm; retaining the dignified aura she had a few hours ago.

It took bit of time to calm down.

"Sensei, what brings you to my room?"

"Well, you see Ichika-san, I now sleep here."

"Oh, I see… Wait, WHAT!?"

It took some time for the words to implant themselves into Ichika's brain.

"You heard me right; from now on I'll be your roommate."

Ellis answered nonchalantly.

At first Ichika thought she was joking

But the luggage she was carrying said otherwise.

"Sensei, are you sure it's fine for a teacher to share a room with a student?"

"Do you have a problem with me sleeping here?"

"No, it just seems… inappropriate."

"Well you do have a point. However Ichika, if you remember correctly, in a school with at least one hundred students, _you_ are the only boy. The board wishes for someone to keep an eye on you… lest you do something vulgar with the girls here."

Ellis countered Ichika's reasoning coldly, emphasizing greatly the end of her final sentence.

"But on what grounds would the board believe that I would do something vulgar?"

Hearing Ichika's words, Ellis' face contorted into a disgusted expression.

"_Because you already have, Orimura Ichika._"

"Eh?"

Ichika was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to retort, but Ellis interrupted him.

"There has actually been a small investigation on this topic. On the first day of school, you were caught peeking at your childhood friend, Shinonono Houki."

"That was an acci-"

Ichika attempted to defend himself, but Ellis' cold glare silenced him.

"Next, in the middle of I.S. piloting class, _you groped your own teacher in front of the entire class_. Another time, the newly transferred Laura Bodewig kissed you. Straight on the lips. _In front of the entire _class. I will not bother enumerating everything, but the list is long enough to go double digits! **Do you not have any shame? Are you not the brother of the [Brunhilde]!?**"

Ichika wanted to say something. But he couldn't. Not as long as Ellis was glaring that strongly at him.

"**Well, are you going to explain yourself?**"

Ichika found the strength to speak up.

"A- accidents."

"**Accidents?** **So you're telling me that everything that's written on this list is but a long stream of misfortunate ****_accidents_****?**"

"… Yes."

Ellis sighed.

Feeling her mood soften, Ichika's muscles began relaxing once more.

"Regardless whether you're lying or not, from now on I am assigned here to keep an eye on you."

Ellis bowed politely.

"I'll be in your care."

It took some time for Ichika to respond, somewhat surprised at his teacher's change in mood.

"And I'll be in yours." **(A/N: I have no idea if this is the right response.)**

* * *

><p>Ichika was awake. Very awake.<p>

First thing in the morning, he gets woken up at 5:00 a.m. by a fist right in front of him.

Yup, never could have felt more awake in his life.

"Good to see you're awake, Orimura Ichika."

Ellis' friendly greeting did not reach her eyes.

"Excuse me, Ellis-sensei, but why are you waking me up this early?"

Taking a short peek out the window, Ichika had noticed that the sun had not risen yet.

Seemingly ignoring Ichika, Ellis went out the room, but stopped in front of the door, and turned to Ichika, her face somewhat red.

"Meet me in Arena 5 in ten minutes; remember to wear your combat suit."

"Wait, what?"

Ellis had not heard Ichika when she had left.

Ichika was at a crossroads.

Though Ichika was tired from helping Ellis unpack, going to sleep now would not be a wise decision.

However, if he didn't sleep, Ichika would have difficulty staying awake for class.

Ichika did not want the favor of his new teacher, but he did want to know her better. At the same time, his classes were pretty important to him.

But…

…_Well, it won't be the first time I sleep in the middle of class. I am pretty curious as to why Ellis-sensei would call me out this early._

Ichika sadly thought to himself as he got out of bed.

* * *

><p>Ichika entered the arena in his combat suit, as requested. But he could not see his teacher anywhere within sight.<p>

Then again, he couldn't really see anything; the clouds had filled sky, the night had been bathed in darkness.

"Where is she?"

The moment Ichika uttered those words, the arena lights suddenly sprang to life.

"Agh!"

His eyes unable to quickly adapt to the sudden change in brightness, Ichika averted his eyes.

However, even as Ichika's eyes were averted, his combat instincts somehow kicked in.

Ichika jumped back and slowly raised his eyes.

Ellis White stood in front of him in a one-piece combat suit, a large blade implanted into the ground where he had been mere moments ago.

"Ten seconds late, Orimura Ichika!"

"Eh? I got here didn't I?"

"And that's the problem."

Ellis held the hilt of her uselessly large blade with her left hand, her right pointing it at Ichika.

"A proper student would have chosen to go back to sleep at this hour! Not go to a girl just because she was confessing to him!"

"C-confessing!? Who's confessing? I just came here because you told me too!"

Ichika attempted to defend himself.

"Don't play dumb with me! I even went as far as to use some make-up to fake a blush! At least 90% of the human population would have at least seen that as a hint that someone has a crush!"

Ellis released an annoyed moan and held her blade with both of her hands.

"Enough talking! Lewd beasts like you should just leave this school."

Ichika got a bad feeling that he knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"I swear! Whatever you're accusing me with, I'm innocent."

"Silence! This test is over, Orimura Ichika. And you've failed. For the chastity of every person I this school; For Cecilia's chastity, I swear that I will mete out the punishment appropriate to perverts such as you."

Although Ellis was glaring at him, for a reason unknown to him, Ichika was this time able to suppress the fear within him.

Holding the blade in front of her, Ellis roared battle cry…

With his oversized watch held high, Ichika yelled…

**[DEPLOY]!**

Bright lights enveloped the two.

* * *

><p>"So, let me guess, 'Just as Planned'?"<p>

[Evil Angel] stood… Wait, no, flew within the clouds.

The black paint on his I.S. made it hard to see him, also, he had turned his wings off just to be sure he wouldn't be seen.

Using his I.S.' enhanced vision; [Evil Angel] stared down, watching the incoming battle between Ichika and Ellis.

However he was not alone.

"Hey, onii-chan… onii-chaaan… oniiiii-chaaaaannn…"

**ONII-CHAAAAAAAAA-!**

The boy quickly moved to shut his sister's mouth.

Both of them were in their I.S., but while [Evil Angel's] I.S. was camouflaged purely by his color, his sister had hidden herself through different means.

[Evil Angel] had specifically built each of his I.S. to their pilot's tastes; hence, although the I.S. he made were powerful, nearly no one could use them properly. But on the rare case where he would be given an unused I.S. core, he would gladly devote himself entirely to creating a body for it, and if anyone saw him as he did so, few could doubt his skill.

One example of his skill would be his sister's I.S., [Decem Laminis].

Everything about it, from the weapons to the armor right down to the paint was made especially for her. Normally, [Decem Laminis] would be lightly armored, covering little skin, to prevent slowing down her agility, but the armor could extend to cover her entire body, yet only hindering her movements by an amount so little it was almost nonexistent. This seemingly useless feature was added to allow her sister's invisibility; visible and otherwise, the armor extending into a shape that would not be spotted on-radar, complete with its own cloaking field. The secrets of creating said cloaking field? [Evil Angel] has only given them to a select few.

You, dear reader, are not one of them, nor will you ever be one of them.

"Alright sis; I hear ya, what is it?"

Somewhat wary, [Evil Angel] removed his hand from his sister's mouth

Confirming that she had received her brother's attention, she asked:

"Onii-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Why are we up here spying on people?"

"Because I want to spy on people."

"Why do you want to spy on people?"

"Because I want to know more about them."

"Why do you want to know more about them?"

"To find their weak points."

"Why do you want to find their weak points?"

"… I don't know, maybe it's because I want to rape them later?"

Tired of his sister's questioning, [Evil Angel] made a sarcastic statement.

"Onii-sama, if you wanted to have sex with someone, you shouldn't have broken up with your last girlfriend."

Trying to get an interesting reaction, his sister made a dangerous remark.

"…That was a year ago."

"You're changing the subject."

"Can we just stop for now?"

Triumphant, his sister smiled.

"Fine. But you still haven't answered me, why are we spying them?"

Sighing in defeat, [Evil Angel] gave up trying to go around the question.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm curious."

"Curious?"

Confused, his sister asked him to elaborate.

"Well you see, I've been watching the Academy for a while-"

"Stalker."

"Shut up. Now where was I? I've been watching the Academy for a while, and it's become very obvious to me that Cecil's taken a liking to that boy."

"Oh… Wait. WHAT!?"

The girl barely held back a yell.

Ignoring his sister's surprise, [Evil Angel] continued.

"… But despite the numerous very obvious advances, by Cecil and other girls, the bastard hasn't noticed shit. It seemed so annoying just watching it all."

"How obvious are the advances?"

"One girl's slept naked next to him and kissed him. The shithead still hasn't gotten the message."

"…"

The girl was still and silent. That either meant that an opponent was near, or her brain was still attempting to comprehend what she just heard.

"So I decided to come here personally to see just what Cecil sees inside of him. After all, if someone is _that_ dense and _that_ stupid, you gotta wonder why women keep chasing after him. But it seems that I have found something more intriguing."

Glancing downwards, the intruder spoke:

"Now sis, tell me, why are _you_ here?

Hearing him say that, his sister smiled.

Afterwards, the only visible part of her body, her head, disappeared.

"…"

For a moment, [Evil Angel] was still, wondering whether he should punish his sister, or applaud her for her hiding and sneaking skills.

In the end, he shrugged it off, once more watching the upcoming battle between Ichika and Ellis.

"By the way sis, that question you asked a while ago?"

Bored, he nonchalantly asked that to his sister, who he wasn't even sure was there.

"Yes…"

Suddenly, the calm expression in his face turned into a condensing sneer.

"**Just. As. Planned.**"

* * *

><p>"<strong>Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"<strong>

Ellis' battlecry was heard all throughout the Fifth Arena.

Ichika barely had any time to dodge Ellis' charge.

As Ichika regained his footing, he checked his energy shield.

90%.

_Ten percent completely shaved off!? She hadn't even touched me!_

Ichika was surprised.

However, not giving her opponent any time to think, Ellis turned and charged again.

Ichika activated the [Yukihira Type 2] and instinctively charged back.

He instantly regretted it.

The moment Ichika's blade met with the one in Ellis' hand, the difference in power was apparent.

_…Damn it!_

Unable to hold for a single moment, Ichika dashed back.

But that did not stop Ellis' charge.

"Don't think you can escape!"

Ellis pulled out her shotgun, aiming at Ichika.

Ichika reacted by raising Setsura in shield mode.

A loud banging sound resounded across the Arena… no, the Academy.

But the bullets were stopped easily by [Byakushiki Setsura's] superior shielding.

Ichika landed ten feet away from where Ellis stopped.

"I see, you really do live up to your name, don't you?"

Ichika attempted to buy some time.

"Which name are you talking about? I have one too many."

"Around here, some call you [Ellis Unbroken]."

"Oh really? What an interesting name. Care to elaborate?"

"Well, nobody's ever seen anything stop your charge."

"Are you calling me a sort of berserker?"

"No!"

Noticing Ellis' slightly angered tone, Ichika quickly denied.

"But honestly, nobody here has seen anyone come close to breaking your charge, in the [Mondo Grosso's] final battle for example."

"Ah, you mean when [Phoenix Wings] fired that barrage?"

Ichika nodded.

In the finals of the [Mondo Grosso] where Ellis won, her opponent, the Chinese representative [Phoenix Wings] was specialized in ranged battle.

Correction: ranged _destructive_ battle.

Her weaponry mainly consisted of laser cannons and artillery cannons, rapid, single shot and otherwise. That amount of firepower was in the gray area in terms of legality, and was probably enough to back even [Byakushiki Setsura], the only anti-energy type I.S., into a corner. However, it shared the same weakness as [Byakushiki Setsura], it burned out tremendous amounts of energy in mere minutes. But the energy [Byakushiki Setsura] would consume in five minutes, [Phoenix Wings] would consume in ten minutes. And unlike [Byakushiki Setsura], which focused nearly all its firepower in the [Yukihira type 2], [Phoenix Wings] was more spread out, creating a sort of balance, adding just a small percentage to close combat, but that mainly consisted of pushing the enemy back into long range.

The pilot was also quite skilled, having used her I.S.' firepower effectively, taking down her opponents as soon as they revealed an opening, never letting her energy go down to 50%.

Against the close-combat oriented [Imperial Rebirth], the battle should have been in her favor.

But what happened surprised everyone.

The battle began with Ellis charging forward.

That charge had left so many openings that even a dumbass would have used the method the pilot of [Phoenix Wings] did.

She fired all her weapons at once in a single devastating barrage.

Anybody else would have run back.

Ellis didn't do any of that.

Raising her sword, [Knight's Honor], Ellis danced and dashed, slicing and parrying through every projectile that came her way.

Artillery shells were sliced in half.

Laser beams were deflected.

Nothing came close to stopping her charge.

Patiently, [Phoenix Wings'] pilot methodically released multiple firing patterns, not unlike a final boss from a Touhou game.

The arena's shielding just barely held.

When the sounds of artillery fire and flashing laser lights died, the sight of Ellis holding [Knight's Honor] just a millimeter away from her opponent's neck greeted the audience.

Although she was obviously incredibly tired, not a scratch was on Ellis, or on her blade.

Her opponent could have beaten her in that tired state.

She could have taken her down.

But after seeing what Ellis had done, she took the honorable option.

No one was against her decision.

No one complained as the pilot of [Phoenix Wings] bowed in respect to Ellis' skill.

And like that, Ellis had won in a record time of a mere thirty-eight seconds.

And all within a single charge.

"…Well, I guess it does fit me quite well."

After some time thinking to herself, Ellis commented on her title out loud.

"Judging by what I've seen so far, I can't help but agree with you."

Ichika slightly grinned.

"You know, Orimura, flattery will get you nowhere."

Ellis took a battle stance, her shotgun dissolving, and her blade held beside her.

"No matter what you say, your punishment continues."

With a smile on her face, Ellis charged.

Ichika raised [Setsura] again, reactivating the shielding.

The steel blade, not strong enough to face the superior shielding given by [Setsura], bounced back…

… That, is what should have happened.

So how did she land a direct hit just then?

Surprised, Ichika took a few steps back.

Ellis did likewise, creating space for a third charge.

"How did you…?"

"You mean the shielding?"

Arrogantly smirking, Ellis answered.

"Before that extra shield of yours activates, there's a half a second delay. That's more than enough time for me to put a strike or two in."

"Half a second delay!? But I've only used it in this battle once!"

"And? A good pilot knows to inspect each and every possible weapon in his opponent's armory before, after and during battle. Your sister should know that well-"

- If you, the only male I.S. pilot could not at least do that, _you've failed as her brother_-

Ellis' short lecture ended there.

Because this time, an angered Ichika charged first.

Although his rage was obvious, his face showed no traces of anger.

Only cold, unbreakable determination.

Ellis, however, was calm; knowing Ichika was inexperienced, she believed that simply swinging the steel sword to parry it would work.

But things did not go as Ellis had expected.

Unable to stop Ichika's blade, Ellis was sent flying.

_… Eh?_

It took approximately three seconds for her to realize that she was off the ground.

As Ellis hit the ground she finally realized just what happened.

"How the…!?"

Ellis rose from the crater she had landed in, outraged by the fact that a _first year _had sent her flying.

"It seems you've forgotten, Ellis-sensei."

Ichika stood from his battle stance, a proud look on his face.

"I may be an inexperienced first year, but not only do I pilot one of the world's most advanced I.S., [Byakushiki Setsura], but I'm also the younger brother of Orimura Chifuyu, the world's most skilled I.S. pilot."

At that moment, Ichika's face contorted into an enraged glare.

"**Anyone who doubts that fact, anyone who doubts my ability to live up to that legacy; I swear I will mete out the appropriate punishment to anyone who doubts it!**"

Those words… she had used a slightly similar sentence just a while ago.

Ellis met Ichika's deadly gaze…

… and smiled, completely excited.

Ellis' blood was boiling.

She felt adrenaline fill her veins.

Was Orimura Ichika perhaps a more worthy adversary than she had expected?

The mere thought of a good fight, that was more than enough.

Ellis laughed heartily.

But Ichika did not feel any warmth from her laugh.

On the contrary, that laugh only encouraged him to take up another battle stance.

That laugh held happiness.

But it was not the happiness that one would feel surrounded with friends.

It was the happiness of being surrounded by adversaries.

It was not the happiness one would find at home.

It was the happiness one would find in the battlefield.

It was the laughter of a dangerous predator, the howl of a veteran warrior, the roar of a madman.

At once, Ichika saw why she had not ran back when faced with [Phoenix Wings'] awful barrage.

Ichika had found Ellis' darkest secret.

The madness built up from years of battle. Not many things could be more terrifying.

"Orimura Ichika!"

Ellis had stopped laughing, appearing to have regained her composure.

Ellis took up her own battle stance, shotgun aimed at Ichika in one hand, steel sword in the other.

"**Come at me. Show me the power of the [Brunhilde's] younger brother.**"

Although Ellis' face and posture made her appear calm, Ichika easily sensed the battle lust flowing from her.

But that was not what scared him.

What scared him was that somewhere, somehow…

Ichika felt something similar building up inside him.

He was afraid that any moment, he would lose control.

Ellis charged, driven by battle-lust.

Ichika, driven into a corner, held his sword with both hands and dashed forward.

If his blade met the steel sword in Ellis' hand, even if it was the [Yukihira Type 2], Ichika would be blown away.

Did Ichika have a plan?

But at moment-

**- Enough.**

A certain person jumped right between them.

Immediately seeing the person's face, Ichika stopped.

Ellis, seeing as the person was not in I.S., was held back by her honor.

That person was in a business suit.

Although obviously tired, that did not even slightly dampen the dangerous aura around her, nor had the regal aura surrounding faded one bit.

Even while holding the giant sword in her hands, her highborn aura could still be felt.

But as stated she was not clad in I.S., even though she was holding a sword made for I.S., she herself was not piloting an I.S.

But her own presence on the field caused Ichika to step back.

The mere fact that she was standing between her and her opponent was all that was needed for Ellis hesitate.

_That person_ was simply _that_ powerful.

That was the strength held by the world's absolute strongest, the [Brunhilde], Orimura Chifuyu.

And she was very angry.

"**Would you two care to explain why you're out this late?**"

Not bothering to hide her annoyance, Chifuyu released a small glare.

Under her hateful gaze, Ellis and Ichika took a step back.

Neither spoke.

"Tch."

Annoyed, Chifuyu clicked her tongue.

Chifuyu then stood from her battle position, gazing at Ellis straight in the eyes.

"I'll warn you this once Ellis White; my suspicions have not been quelled, not even slightly. One wrong move…"

Chifuyu needn't finish her sentence.

Half a second later, Ellis had disappeared.

Taking a moment to ensure that she had left, Chifuyu turned to her brother.

"I'm giving you one minute. Explain what the hell just happened."

Ichika wanted to complain, but doing so would only be a waste of time.

As quickly as he could, Ichika undeployed his I.S. and explained whatever he could understand of the situation.

"So basically, she was giving out disciplinary action to the idiot who's been doing lecherous acts all over the school." Chifuyu summarized. "Legitimate enough."

"Hey!"

"…However," Ignoring her brother's protests, Chifuyu continued "the fact that you were out hours before curfew is still not forgivable."

"She was the one who invit-"

"I know; I heard." Ichika was abruptly interrupted by his elder sister who revealed that she had been around the entire time.

"Then why didn't you interrupt sooner!?"

"Well, the thought crossed my mind." Chifuyu shrugged. "But… well, let's just say that something made me decide otherwise."

"… What do you mean?"

Chifuyu paused, wondering if it was fine to flatten her brother's pride a bit.

"…Well?"

Chifuyu sighed.

"Two things."

"First, what did you notice about her equipment?"

"Her I.S. looks like the [White Knight]."

"Well thank you, Captain Obvious."

Seeing that his answer was unsatisfactory, Ichika tried harder to remember.

"She used a shotgun?"

"No, last chance."

"… She used a sword?" Desperately, Ichika pointed out the most obvious piece of information.

"And?" Her brother getting close, Chifuyu allowed one final chance.

To Ichika, this was obvious.

Not wanting to disappoint his elder sister, he recalled every detail he could about Ellis' sword.

_What about it was different?_

_Ellis is well known for using a sword. But that's not what Chifuyu-neechan is looking for, is it?_

_Well, she tended to hold it behind her in an approximate 60 degrees away from where she was facing. Probably to add more space to swing her sword._

_Anything else?_

_…_

_…_

Ichika, unable to find an answer, held his head in his arms.

_Dammit! What's so strange about a normal sword!?_

Immediately, his eyes widened in realization.

"Looks like you figured it out."

Chifuyu interrupted his thoughts.

"That's right; Ellis White was not using her personal blade, the [Knight's Honor], but instead was _using a sword she borrowed from the school armory._"

A sword wielder not using his personal sword.

This normally would mean little in a normal battle.

But in I.S. battles, this was very fatal to an I.S.' combat ability. This is especially true for personal I.S. combat.

First and foremost was the lack of the I.S.' main weapon.

An I.S.' main weapon was obviously no normal weapon.

It was connected to an I.S.' systems, synching it with the I.S.' armory and was, more often than not, the most powerful weapon in the armory, being the weapon where the pilot is most comfortable with, the weapon with the largest amount of equalizers distributed to it, and the weapon that the armory revolves around and adapts to (Save for the case of the original [Byakushiki], which practically smashed everything into the [Yukihira Type 2]).

The main weapon was the weapon most used by the pilot, hence it was the weapon the pilot was most skilled with; because of this, an I.S. tends to capitalize on the main weapon when equalizers are available, and leaves space in the armory to cover for the weapon's obvious weaknesses, such as giving a pistol to an I.S. with a sword, but since I.S.' have their own different 'personalities', each I.S. has their different way of covering it, such as instead increasing the strength of the thrusters, one example would be [Byakushiki's] [Setsura], which covered two of its flaws, (the lack of defensive equalizers, the lack of any ranged weaponry) and once more increases its close combat prowess. Of course, it comes at the cost of making its already terrible energy consumption even worse. (Seriously? 20% shaved off in _5 minutes_?). Also, when the I.S. also takes into account the main weapon's special properties (such as being extremely offense-oriented or being able to pierce shields) and tries to avoid adding another of the same property (or at least covering it's weaknesses).

So, even if they are the same type, what happens when a personal I.S. doesn't use its main weapon?

The I.S.' calibrations are off.

The amount of firepower in the I.S. is drastically reduced.

Everything else in the armory becomes redundant at best, or useless at worst.

"Not only that, Ellis' combat stance was off." Chifuyu said "Did you notice it, Ichika? Most of the time she held her blade 60 degrees from her front, giving her more swinging space, but leaving her wide open to frontal attacks. Even when she charged, she would take up this stance. The only reason you landed that strike at her was probably because she was trying to parry _from the sides_, not block from the front. Had she taken up a proper stance and block it head on… well, who knows?"

Ichika just barely heard the words that came out of his sister's mouth.

Unable to see her brother's expression, Chifuyu sighed.

"Well whatever you're gonna do, go do it in your room; but if you go to sleep now, you might be able to make it in time for class."

Appearing to listen to his sister's advice, Ichika left the arena, his pace somewhat slow.

"…"

As soon as her brother left, Chifuyu glared skyward.

"… I know you're there."

No one replied.

"… Whatever you're planning…" Chifuyu turned, leaving the Arena grounds, "… leave my brother out of this."

Impossibly, in that distance that was literally heaven and earth he heard.

[Evil Angel] smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>I think I made it very clear how high of an authority [Evil Angel] is, didn't I?<strong>

**Alright, I won't be able to write for a while, my brain's out of inspiration, I can barely imagine the next scenes.**

**That and school, and my other writing projects.**

**Also, yeah, I know, it's pathetic that after 3 months or so months (I didn't count) I'm only able to do around ten thousand more words. But I had other stuff.**

**Also (again) please review, it might help me find inspiration.**

**Thanks or reading my story.**


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